I had the opportunity of meeting Thyla and speaking with her.
Thyla’s research interests include various topics in theoretical and applied cryptography.
We all regularly use TLS while surfing the web on secure websites.
vpnMentor: What do I as an average user need to know on TLS?
If you dont have an HTTPS connection, think twice about the information you input into the site.
Avoid putting user name and password to a non-HTTPS url.
Of course, offering TLS doesnt hurt the marketing either.
Something like an APACHE server will come with TLS configuration options.
Note what version of TLS to implement, and dont use RC4!
vpnMentor: What do you focus on your research?
We are using formal method tools to analyze TLS 1.3, to see to it that it is secure.
Do you fear for such a scenario?
vpnMentor: What do you personally do to protect your privacy online?
I double-check to choose goodpasswords, I rotate them every once in a while.
I have a system so I use many different passwords for different sites and not one for all.
I also make a run at be aware when I am working on a secure connection or not.
At times, I use a VPN but not often.
Mainly when I need to connect to my campus web connection (I use the F5 VPN client).
I also actually read the warning messages of my online window!
I fall on the side of the argument that people have the right to privacy.
For me this is the most important thing.
Well, weve already seen attacks in the form of Stuxnet, for example.
I dont think that we can remove the threat for major attacks from the realm of possibility.
Thyla Van Der Merwe at BIU, May 02 2016
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