You’ve definitely got them on your computer, and no, your browser doesn’t have an option to delete them.

I’m talking about Flash Cookies.

Flash cookies are a little known feature in Macromedia Flash Player, that allow sites to track your whereabouts online, and build a list of things you’re interested in. It’s how marketers keep track of just what age group you may be in, and what sex you may be.

And it’s very well hidden from end users.

In fact a new lawsuit says Overture uses these hidden “zombie cookies” to recreate your computer’s computers once you’ve deleted them. This means, even after you’ve deleted your cookies, traces of your browsing patterns still remain.

How do you fix it?

Either disable Flash, or learn to delete your Flash cookies too. It is a bit of a hassle to do either, so remember, you can always just use a DemocraKey. All your Flash data is deleted upon every run.

The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan have figured out a way to “hack” the live video feeds of Predator drones.

In fact, there was nothing to hack.

Apparently, whomever created the Predator drones and wrote their software assumed the insurgents wouldn’t check the communications networks. Because they decided not to encrypt video feeds, leaving their entire intelligence gathering open to anyone with a satellite dish.

In this information age, encryption is becoming more and more important. Everything of any sensitivity needs to be encrypted. As we’ve seen with the Predator drones, millions of dollars on intelligence are wasted, if any schmuck with a satellite dish and a receiver can pick it up.

This software, which allows insurgents to download streams of Predator drones, was originally written to download music illegally. Skygrabber was written to hijack other people’s internet connections over satellite. And so, any unencrypted communication over satellite is downloadable, and more importantly, undetectable.

As private citizens, we need to become more encryption savvy. It’s up to us to know what’s encrypted, and what’s not. Because we now live in an age where the bad comment can come back to bite us thirty years down the road. Everything is being recorded online, somewhere. And it will be analyzed, if it is not encrypted.

More photos and insight available at JDHodges.

It’s been a while in the making, but the DemocraKey Version 3.0 has been released in two different flavors. There is a Minimal DemocraKey, and a Full DemocraKey. The new versions are both 100% Vista compatible, and a great improvement from Version 2.0.

Minimal DemocraKey
Minimal DemocraKey is a basic, secure install of the DemocraKey.

It includes:

• Tor Browser – For anonymous web browsing without using an insecure anonymous proxy
• Clamwin Portable – To check the host computer for viruses, and to clean before surfing anonymously
• Thunderbird Portable – Send anonymous email or encrypted email with Enigmail and GnuPGP
• TrueCrypt – Create hidden volumes and encrypt your files so they are unreadable

You can download the minimal version here.

Full DemocraKey
Full DemocraKey is a complete, secure portable USB suite. It includes all of the applications from within the minimal install, plus:

• AbiWord Portable – Write and open documents saved within your encrypted folders
• Gimp Portable – Open and edit images saved within your encrypted folders

DemocraKey PRO
DemocraKey PRO is recommended for those who want the highest level of protection. It is a preconfigured DemocraKey Full already optimized for personal protection.

It comes with all the features of Full DemocraKey, plus custom software designed to ensure your surfing in complete anonymity, with access to the strongest personal encryption.

• Best for Business People – Automatically sync your personal files, and financial information to any computer. Automatically guarantee your security, on any computer.
• Best for Computer Protection – Keep all traces of your browsing habits hidden from the host computer. No need to delete history files, cookies, or other pieces.
• Best for Financial Security – Your computer is the weakest link in your financial security. It is worth paying extra for protection.

Purchase the DemocraKey PRO for $99 $29.95!
The DemocraKey Pro comes with features not included in the Open Source DemocraKey, including:

• Country of Origin – Choose which country to surf from, allowing you to stream videos from countries which have banned video streams.
• Boot CD – Turn any computer into a trusted, safe source with our proprietary boot CD, allowing you to edit the host computer, take files, and remove viruses safely.

You can download the full version of the DemocraKey here

Both versions are available for immediate download at Sourceforge. If you have any questions, feel free to drop them below.