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WikiLeaks Reveals CIA Tool Acting as SMS Proxy on Android – Infosecurity Magazine

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WikiLeaks has revealed details about HighRise, a tool allegedly developed by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which intercepts and redirects SMS messages to a remote web server through an Android application.

In other words, the malware can enable a CIA agent to access the message before it reaches its intended recipient.

The leaked manual comes from Vault 7, the codename given by WikiLeaks to documents it claims reveala repertoire of hacking tools and capabilities that the CIA has used in the recent past.

According to WikiLeaks, HighRise acts as a proxy server for text messages. However, it is limited to devices which have the malware installed on it manually meaning that the CIA would need physical access to the Android device to infect the handset.

The manual suggested that it only works on Android versions from 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) to 4.3 (JellyBean) although it could have been updated to work on more recent versions of the Android OS.

The HighRise tool is packaged inside an app called TideCheck. Once the CIA installs the app on the targets device, they have to run it at least once, in order for it to work at all times including when the phone is rebooted. The app starts when the phone is powered on, meaning that it can continue to run in the background and intercept text messages for longer than most other CIA malware, which disappeared after a restart.

According to the manual, CIA operatives have to enter the special code inshallah which is the Arabic word for God willing to access the apps settings.

Once activated, the app gives the user three choices they can return directly to the configuration to make changes, they can start the tool or they can send an SMS from the phone to a remote CIA server.

This is the first Vault 7 data dump to involve the Android OS; most of the other tools have been focused on Windows or Linux. This included Grasshopper, a builder for Windows malware, and Scribble, a beaconing system for Office documents. There has also been a tool geared to hack Samsung smart TVs, and a tool for hacking iPhones and Macs.

WikiLeaks claim that the CIA are, or have been using many of these tools- but critics suggest that the documents are several years out-of-date and have suggested that WikiLeaks has overhyped their importance.

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WikiLeaks Reveals CIA Tool Acting as SMS Proxy on Android - Infosecurity Magazine

How Did Donald Trump Win? WikiLeaks, Twitter Helped President Beat Hillary Clinton, Study Shows – Newsweek

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A signature catchphrase, a heavy push forjobs, his son-in-laws digital operation and a blowhard, braggadociosstyle of speech ultimately handed President Donald Trump the White House on Election Day last year, a newly released study suggests.

He also benefited tremendously thanks to WikiLeaks email dumping and the social media site Twitter, which was used to heavily criticize Trump opponent and Democrat Hillary Clinton over the final two months of the campaign,according to Science Magazine.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh in tandem with the Qatar Computing Research Institute, examined the 50 most retweeted Twitter posts between September 1 and November 8 and discovered posts that slammed or ridiculed Clinton were three-times more prevalent than positive ones.

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And WikiLeaks, the government transparency site, was employed by Clinton defamers the most. Founded by Julian Assange, the site was responsible for leaking hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee, which only fueled flames of the private email server scandal that plagued Clinton throughout her campaign.

In contrast, Trump experienced an even number of positive and unfavorable posts on social media, according to the study.

"Our findings reveal a wide disparity between traditional media, which was very critical of Donald Trump, and social media, where Hillary Clinton was much worse off," the studys leader and University of Edinburgh School of Informatics Dr. Walid Magdy said.

The content of all of the tweets with nearly 3,500 total posts examined - perhaps reflected the national tone of the campaign, one that saw Clinton supporters lash out more at Trump than tweet praise ofthe Democrat and former secretary of state and first lady. All told, those posts were retweeted more than 25 million times.

Trumps social media campaign, unlike many of his speeches and personal tweets from his official Twitter account, proved to be more positive than Clintons as it pushed the signature slogan of Make America Great Again and many of the new president's pledges involved concrete actionslike the Mexican border wall and boosting the economy through developing U.S-basedindustries.

Fake news, a term the president has used to bashmainstream outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post, played a significant role among Trump supporters. The study showed that the presidents supporters were more likely to spread reports from less credible sources.

The U.S. intelligence community established that many of those fake news articles were part of a massive cyber attack perpetrated by Russia.Allegations of collusion with Moscowhavedogged the Trumpadministration ever since.

Following Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putins first face-to-face meeting Friday during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, the Russian leader stated Trump accepted his denials over hacking, according to The Times, though the White House pushed back on Putins comments by stating they were inaccurate.

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How Did Donald Trump Win? WikiLeaks, Twitter Helped President Beat Hillary Clinton, Study Shows - Newsweek

Sandy Hook Mom Stands Up To Roger Stone Over WikiLeaks Conspiracy Theory – A Plus

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Mrquez-Greene pointed out that while we still have a ways to go in understanding grief and loss, it's unreasonable to expect survivors of high-profile tragedies to withstand public attacks from conspiracies. She even concedes that healthy questioning of government and people is important, though she makes it clear that is not how she sees Stone and his ilk.

"You intentionally use your platform to espouse theories debunked by law enforcement and that a bereaved family has expressly asked you to stop promoting," she wrote. "Your actions have real consequences for those of us grieving."

Mrquez-Greene also noted another simple fact: bereaved parents and family members from high-profile tragedies are no longer remaining quiet in the face of these conspiracies. Like Mrquez-Greene, others have begun speaking out about the real-life consequences of online conspiracies. Even the owner of Comet Ping Pong, the pizza shop in Washington D.C. caught up in a conspiracy that led to an armed gunman firing a round inside the restaurant, has been outspoken about the damage the conspiracy has done.

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Sandy Hook Mom Stands Up To Roger Stone Over WikiLeaks Conspiracy Theory - A Plus

Donald Trump Jr.’s emails are not treason – Washington Examiner

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Remember when Rosie O'Donnell was going to be the end of President Trump? Then, it was John McCain. And then Khizr Khan and the Access Hollywood tape and the Russian dossier and the Mika/Joe tweetstorm.

All of that should have brought down President Trump, at least in the eyes of the Left. None of it has. But hope sprang anew earlier this week when it was discovered Donald Trump Jr. had met with a Russian lawyer who offered dirt on Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr. promptly turned over the entire email chain he had on the affair, and the press has since had a field day finding people to make ever more ludicrous claims about his possible legal exposure.

It's clearly collusion, some said although collusion is not exactly a crime. It's an illegal campaign contribution, said others although nothing of value was given.

It's a Logan Act violation, said others, referring to the 1799 law that makes it a crime for citizens to intervene in disputes with foreign governments and has never been used to prosecute anyone.

It could even be conspiracy to defraud, said one Vermont law professor, Jennifer Taub, because Trump Jr. went to a meeting to hear evidence that someone else may have committed a crime against the United States.

To all of which Tim Kaine, perhaps the worst vice presidential candidate in modern times, accused Trump Jr. of treason of working against the interests of the U.S. and for the interests of a foreign power.

That's right a 20-minute meeting, ultimately about nothing, with a Russian lawyer who promised dirt on the opponent in a charged political atmosphere is supposedly not just a technical violation of some obscure campaign regulation. It is treason, with punishments ranging up to the death penalty.

There have been some rough moments as President Trump and his team have grown into their jobs, and even Trump Jr. admits he would have done some things differently. But treason? Collusion? Conspiracy to defraud?

Many in the media want these to be crimes so badly, according to Rush Limbaugh, they are losing their minds in trying to find some way to force the president from office.

This is not it. Not only did Trump Jr. not commit treason by taking the meeting with the Russian lawyer, but he probably committed no crime at all. And that would hold even if the Russian lawyer had provided useful information, which she didn't.

Jonathan Turley, a liberal professor of constitutional law at George Washington University, said so. "Does any of this constitute a clear crime or even a vague inkblot image of a crime?" Turley asked in an op-ed in The Hill. "No, at least not on these facts."

Alan Dershowitz, another liberal lawyer, agreed. "I don't see a crime at this point in time," he told Newsmax. And that's true even if the information was obtained illegally, he said.

That's how the Washington Post and New York Times were able to publish the Pentagon Papers, as well as information from Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning, he said.

Turley and law professor Eugene Volokh, author of the well-respected Volokh Conspiracy law blog, pointed to the obvious problem with prosecuting anyone for what Trump Jr. did. None of the laws detractors want to use against Trump Jr. could be enforced without serious First Amendment implications.

It's illegal for foreign governments to provide a "thing of value" to a federal campaign, but can information be considered a thing of value? That's the key question for both Volokh and Turley. And both say no or no foreign government or individual could provide any damaging evidence on any federal candidate.

Under this reading, if a foreign person or government offered damaging information on Trump to The New York Times, the paper would be bound by law to either decline or pay for the information checkbook journalism has its own substantial set of problems.

And if some aggrieved business across the globe wanted to share the dirt on its unhappy dealings with Trump's companies, it would be illegal for us to hear about this.

In other words, the statute is so "unconstitutionally over-broad" that it "ought to be read as not covering such distribution or solicitation of damaging information about a candidate."

There are clearly double standards at work here. How did the Hillary Clinton campaign find out about the foreign beauty contest winner Trump had supposedly "fat-shamed"? How did it find out Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, had Russia ties? What about the information the Russian lawyer offered it was about Hillary's ties to the Russian government? Is that not worth looking into? And how did she get in the country for this meeting in the first place?

Trump continues to be blessed with overreaching, overzealous, and imprudent political enemies. Every blip is The One. Every act is high treason with articles of impeachment to follow.

People can see what's going on here. They have tuned out the Russia allegations this entire Trump Jr. episode never even trended on Twitter. And until Democrats get serious or at least a bit more measured in their treatment of the president, they're not going to make a dent.

Ford O'Connell (@Ford Connell) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog. He is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, worked on John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, and authored the book "Hail Mary: The 10-Step Playbook for Republican Recovery."

If you would like to write an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, please read our guidelines on submissions here.

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24 Republicans Vote To Preserve Transgender Ideology in Military – Breitbart News

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The amendment to the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act was offered by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R, Mo.). It would have prohibited the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for the non-military medical task of converting healthy soldiers into transgender soldiers who face lifelong dependence on hormones and surgery.

The July 13 vote saw Democrats vote in lockstep to defeat the amendment, despite the national unpopularity of the transgender ideology. They were joined by 24 Republicans who broke with their party to assist the Democrats to defeat the amendment, without any visible objections by the GOPs business-focused leadership.

The offer of free medical care to gender-confused soldiers is part of the broader effort by Obama to have the Pentagon affirm and implement the transgender ideology, which says that people can have a gender different from their biological sex. The ideology also says that a persons legal sex is defined by their self-assessed gender not by their biology and that other Americans must agree with people who say they are a member of the opposite sex.

Many Republicans praised the Hartzler amendment and criticized the Obama transgender policy. It makes no sense to create soldiers who are unable to fight and win our nations wars, Hartzler said during debate on the bill, according to the Associated Press.

Figure out whether youre man or a woman before you join, Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of California said. U.S. taxpayers shouldnt have to foot the bill.

Amendment supporters say the Pentagons financial bill for accepting transgender claims could reach$3.7 billion over the next ten years.

So far, the militarys most famous transsexual soldier is Private Bradley Manning, who copied and released 90,000 military reports from Iraq and Afghanistan. He was released from jail in early 2017 after Obama reduced his jail sentence. Manning has since changed his name to Chelsea Manning.

Democrats embrace the transgenderideology and called the GOP amendment bigoted for not saying men can be women.

Rep. Jared Polis (D, CO) insisted the amendment would hurt the military. It would have a negative impact on morale, a negative impact on retention and move us away from the merit-based system which we now have, where we have one set of rules applied to everybody, he said.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D, CA) slammed Republicans for attempting to rip away health care for soldiers. Republicans should be ashamed: instead of protecting the men and women who risk their lives to defend our freedoms, they are fighting to rip away the health care of thousands of brave service members, Pelosi said in hyperbolically. This cowardly Republican amendment targeting transgender men and women in uniform effectively bans these patriotic Americans from serving their country.

But the Center for Military Readiness, a policy group located in Michigan, criticized the current transgender policy, calling it absurd and sometimes bizarre plans incorporated in Obama Administration transgender mandates.

In a statement, the group also said that the policies are dangerous. Social experiments with the lives of people who deserve better will create many problems that detract from impacts on morale and readiness.

The Republicans who support the transgender ideology are mostly social liberals (click See More to view the list):

Obamas Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, created the problem of having to pay for the medical needs of transsexual soldiers by repealing the ban on transgenders serving openly in the military in 2016.

However, the plan is apparently very unpopular among top leaders and the rank-and-file, partly because it would female soldiers to share rooms and showers with biological men who have been classified by the military as women.

If the military agrees to establish the transgender ideology, the pro-transgender campaign will be boosted in the nations courtrooms, capitols, and classrooms, said Austen Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. Every transgender activist can point to the military to say, Theyvedone, it, so weshould do it in gradeschools, high schools, colleges,everywhere, he added.

The progressive push to bend Americans attitudes and their male-and-female civic society around the idea of gender has already attacked and cracked popular social rules for how Americans handle the useful differences between complementary and equal men and women.

These pro-gender claims have an impact on different-sex bathrooms,shelters for battered women,sports leagues for girls,hiking groups for boys,K-12 curricula,university speech codes,religious freedoms,free speech, thesocial status of women,parents rightsin childrearing, practices tohelp teenagers, womensexpectations of beauty,culture and civic society,scientific research,prison safety,civic ceremonies,school rules, menssense of masculinity,law enforcement, and childrenssexual privacy.

A study of the 2010 census showed that roughly 1-in-2,400 adults had changed their name from one sex to the other sex.

Polls showthat strong majority of ordinary Americans oppose the transgender claims, they want sexual privacy in bathrooms and shower rooms especially in K-12 schools. Even as Americans want to keep their sexual privacy, most are also willing to bepolite and friendlyto the very few transgender people who wish to live as members of the other sex.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this story included anembeddedtweet with an inaccurate list of GOP members who voted against this amendment. Weve replaced that tweet with the accurate list of members via a Facebook post from Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC). We regret the error.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.

P.S. DO YOU WANT MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX?SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BREITBART NEWSLETTER.

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House Votes to Cover Cost of Military Sex-Change Surgeries – Patriot Post

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National Security Desk Jul. 14, 2017

On Thursday, the House voted down an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have prevented any of the militarys budget from being used to pay for sex reassignment surgeries, as 24 Republicans crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had caterwauled about the proposed amendment being appalling, disgusting and mean spirited and warned that it would undermine our national security. She further stated, This cowardly Republican amendment targeting transgender men and women in uniform effectively bans these patriotic Americans from serving their country.

Who knew that the number of transgenders in the military was so significant that it would undermine our national security if taxpayers were not forced to foot the bill to entertain the twisted notions of gender dysphoria via sex-reassignment surgery. Last we checked the military does not cover the medical costs of elective cosmetic surgery. Only surgeries deemed to be medically necessary are covered.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), the representative who filed the amendment, defended her position in June, stating, Military service is a privilege, not a right. It is predicated on winning wars and defeating the enemy. All decisions on personnel and funding should be made with this in mind. But now evidently having ones sex-change surgery covered is a right.

And speaking of undermining national security, recall one Bradley Manning, the transgender poster, er, boy of the Rainbow Mafia, who was found guilty of mishandling classified information as in deliberately distributing it to Americas foes. How much security has that cost Americans? Not only that, Barack Obama chose to placate the Rainbow Mafias demands when he commuted Mannings sentence. Americans are paying for his transition to female. How again does this make the American military more prepared for warfare? It doesnt.

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House Votes to Cover Cost of Military Sex-Change Surgeries - Patriot Post

Australia’s plan to force tech giants to give up encrypted messages may not add up – The Guardian

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Encryption access: It looks as if the government is going to lay out the requirements for tech companies and then let the companies themselves work out the methods. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Australian government is proposing legislation, similar to that introduced in the UK, that will compel technology companies to provide access to users messages, regardless of whether they have been encrypted.

The attorney general, George Brandis, said on Friday: What we are proposing to do, if we cant get the voluntary cooperation we are seeking, is to extend the existing law that says to individuals, citizens and to companies that in certain circumstances you have an obligation to assist law enforcement if it is in within your power to do so.

Here is how encrypted messaging currently works.

I use an app, such as WhatsApp, to type a message to Darren on my phone. Before sending the message to the Darren via WhatsApps server, my phone encrypts the message specifically for Darren using what is called a public key. Now, the message can only be read by Darren using his private key, which corresponds to the public key the message was encrypted with.

WhatsApps server doesnt have access to the private keys of either user, and so cannot decrypt the message. The situation is the same for other apps that use end-to-end encryption, such as Signal and iMessage.

With a warrant the proposed legislation could compel companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook, to provide access to messages from phones and other devices.

There are several ways this could occur.

One way is that at the point of message encryption the message is not just encrypted for the recipients key but also with a key belonging to the technology company that makes the app. Then the technology company would be able to decrypt the message, store it and then later provide this to law enforcement agencies. This amounts to what most people would call a backdoor that is a method introduced, usually by the manufacturer, that allows someone to bypass a security system.

Another way is to circumvent the encryption entirely, by copying the message before it is encrypted or after it is decrypted. This requires either the phone operating system or the messaging application to be modified to record what someone is typing, and then store the unencrypted message for later retrieval or send it to another server.

This is very similar to the way that criminals use programs known as keyloggers to steal peoples passwords and other details, and is also a method used by intelligence agencies to get around encrypted messaging.

Brandis has repeatedly said the government will not require a backdoor, telling the ABC: Well, we dont propose to require backdoors, as they are sometimes called, though there is a debate of course about what is or is not a backdoor.

However, confusingly Brandis has also said that encryption keys should be provided to the government if necessary.

At one point or more of that process, access to the encrypted communication is essential for intelligence and law enforcement, he told the Sydney Morning Herald in June.

If there are encryption keys then those encryption keys have to be put at the disposal of the authorities.

Seemingly contradictory statements aside, and without yet seeing the legislation, it looks as if the government is going to lay out the requirements for tech companies and then let the companies themselves work out the methods.

Various security researchers have expressed concern that if companies did install backdoors that allow them to decrypt messages, this would have significant security implications for the general public. Once discovered, its possible that any backdoor method could be exploited for criminal purposes, compromising the privacy of all users of a service.

Its also likely that people concerned about security and privacy would simply stop using the services of any company that introduces methods to decrypt or record messages, and switch to other means of secure communication.

For example, in addition to using encrypted messaging apps, members of the terrorist group Isis have also been known to use simple, open-source encryption software to encrypt files which can then be transferred conventionally. Its hard to see how the governments legislation could address methods such as this, given the basic function of encrypting and decrypting files is done by mathematical algorithms.

This situation led tech reporter Asha McLean from ZDnet to ask the prime minister: Wont the laws of mathematics trump the laws of Australia? And then arent you also forcing people onto decentralised systems as a result?

To which Turnbull replied: The laws of mathematics are very commendable, but the only law that applies in Australia is the law of Australia.

Just how the law of Australia will override mathematics is still unclear.

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Australia's plan to force tech giants to give up encrypted messages may not add up - The Guardian

How To Safeguard And Protect Your Small Business Data – CBS Los Angeles

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Data protection should be a top priority for small business owners. While it is common for small businesses to adopt basic back-up solutions, this bare-bones approach can result in oversights that leave data vulnerable. With constantly-changing technology that makes it easier than ever to keep sensitive information safe, there is no excuse for not protecting against a wide variety of emergencies that could lead to a loss or breach of confidential business data. Take all the steps you can to safeguard your small business data with the following suggestions.

Back It Up

Backing up your systems regularly is essential and one of the safest ways to keep your small business data safe.According to theSBA, businesses should back up their information daily, or weekly at the very least especially if the business is fairly active in creating or updating files and documents. Many business owners are familiar with and commonly practice backing up their data to a physical hard drive or server. However, it is advisable to back up important information to a cloud server as well. Using an off-site server protects data in the event of a disaster. For example, if your back-up hardware is destroyed in a flood, you can still retrieve files and documents from a cloud server. Using both of these methods is a great way to protect against many unexpected emergencies.

Set Up Firewalls

While a back-up system protects data from unexpected accidents like power outages and natural disasters, a firewall can protect your information from malicious intrusions specifically intended to breach your system. A firewall monitors all traffic coming in and out of your network, and prevents malware like viruses or Trojan horses from accessing and corrupting your data. When deciding on firewalls, consider an appliance rather than software. Firewall hardware serves as a layer between the internet and your system, blocking malicious software before it enters your network. To take an extra step towards protecting your data, use anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to scan your system and check for any breaches that may have bypassed your firewall.

Limit Financial Transactions To One Computer

Use one computer for all your businesss online financial transactions, and do not use it for other online activities like surfing the web, checking e-mail or using social media. It is much more difficult for outsiders to gain access to sensitive information when a computer is used solely for online business transactions. If you are a business owner, it is important to review transactions daily so you can spot fraud sooner rather than later.

Run Virtual Servers

In addition to being cost-effective, running virtual servers can improve your data security. Server virtualization allows you to run several virtual server environments (like your email, database and web servers) on one device. Put another way, this technology allows you to run one server on multiple computers. This means that your work can be recovered and accessed from another machinein the event of a hardware failure.

Secure Confidential Information With Cryptography

It is essential to use strong cryptography during storage and transmission of information that is confidential. Cryptography methods vary, and choosing one depends on your specific business needs. The FTC states, the method will depend on the types of information your business collects, how you collect it, and how you process it. Common options include Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer (TLS/SSL) encryption, data-at-rest encryption or an iterative cryptographic hash. Regardless of method, encrypting sensitive transmissions is necessary and can save you the grief of dealing with a data breach.

The foregoing information is provided by City National Bank (CNB). Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed are those of the respective authors and not necessarily those of CNB. The information is provided without warranty and no recommendation or endorsement by CNB is intended or should be inferred unless specifically stated.

Visit City National Banks News & Insights for small business tips, trends and updates.

For more tips and inspiration for small business owners, visit CBS Small Business Pulse Los Angeles.

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3 life pro tips for the teen cryptocurrency trader who’s already made thousands – MarketWatch

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Navigating the treacherous cryptocurrency market is not for the faint of heart. While the gains over the past year have certainly been spectacular, the recent whipsaw reversal is a reminder of just how wrenching it can be.

As you can see, bitcoins BTCUSD, -1.04% path to recent nosebleed levels has seen its share of sizable drawdowns, including the current one.

So whats a trader to do? And in this case, whats a 13-year-old whos already turned $2,200 in profits dabbling in the crypto market to do?

Thats the question Sam of the popular Financial Samurai blog tackled after one middle-schooler asked for some help plotting his financial future.

Heres the letter he received:

Im 13, live in an upper middle-class family, have good grades in school, and want to start planning out my future now. I want to learn the major mistakes other people have made before I can even grasp the chance to do the same.

I run an eBay .account where I make ~$400 gross a month buying and reselling high tier shoes and clothing. The money usually ends up in my desk drawer, but I have been dabbling in the investment of cryptocurrency and I have turned around a $2,200 profit so far.

I know that money comes with work and gambling for it is the worst thing you could do. I want to be able to live a happy and wealthy life and I know I have all the utilities but I dont know what to do. I am willing to work and take risks to sustain financial growth but I dont know where to start.

If anyone is willing to give me three pieces of advice for my future I will take them with full consideration. Thanks! Daniel

Wise beyond his years, clearly. But its just as clear that Daniel has a lot to learn, and quite likely, a lot of lumps to take in the coming years.

First off, Sam, who acknowledges that he was much more interested in girls, skateboards and beer at that age, told Daniel to go ahead and be a kid while he can. Dont get too bogged down in real life just yet. Enjoy middle school while it lasts, then hit the books hard when high school rolls around.

People today who complain about life not being fair more often than not didnt take school extremely seriously. Education is what will set you free, he said. Get the best grades and test scores possible to give yourself as many options as possible.

His second piece of advice is to learn from the inevitable mistakes. At this age, Daniel can recover from any sort of hits he takes.

Investing in cryptocurrencies sounds like a great way to make and lose everything, Sam said. If you end up losing your $2,200 profit by not at least taking some profits, youll always be reminded about this loss before making more significant investments.

He explained that people who only started investing after 2009 are in for a rude awakening.

Never ever confuse brains with a bull market, he said. Study the previous bubble implosions to better prepare yourself for the next one.

Lastly, Sam tells Daniel to always focus on building his personal brand, and take care in crafting an online image that wont backfire. The internet never forgets.

Dont post compromising pictures of yourself that might come back to haunt you. Dont write hateful commentary, only love or nothing at all, he said. Focus on helping someone first before asking for help. Be resilient. And never fail due to a lack of effort. If you can consistently tilt towards the positive, you will surround yourself with other positive people in return.

And, of course, listen to mom and dad.

Any more advice for Daniel? Share in the comments section.

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Here’s How Entrepreneurs Are Making Cryptocurrency Mainstream And Starting A Revolution – Inc.com

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Less than a year ago, the average human did not know what cryptocurrency was. The market was limited mostly to a techy crowd of developers and very early adopters, considering Bitcoin was the only major currency on the block back then. But thanks to a number of really smart entrepreneurs, rising prices, and a powerful community, everything is changing and crypto is going mainstream.

Ethereum, Stratis, Sia, AntShares/NEO, TenX, and others are leading the charge of the technological revolution that is blockchain. Cryptocurrency-based crowdfunding known as Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are also a major player in the revolution. Blockchain startups like TenX have raised $80 million dollars in a matter of literal minutes to solve a big challenge for cryptocurrency holders--actually spending the currency in the real world.

Entire governments, such as China's, are considering utilizing a national digital currency. Even the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, met with the founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin. All of this good press and positive outlook has caused many billions of dollars to be added to the market in the last seven months.

The excitement about the cryptocurrency market has attracted a lot of entrepreneurs who are looking to disrupt big industries through Blockchain technology.

I think of Blockchain disruption as creating disrupters to the disrupters. This new wave of Blockchain startups, such as Sia, are looking to disrupt companies like Dropbox and Amazon AWS. If they are even remotely successful, we are looking at many 10s if not 100s of billions of dollars being added to the overall cryptocurrency market as they continue to grow.

Another example of entrepreneurship at its finest is TenX. They are literally solving the biggest spending issue in cryptocurrency, actually making the tokens spendable in the real world. They are using debit/credit cards that physically store cryptocurrency then instantly convert them into Fiat (USD, EUR, YEN, etc.).

Stratis is considered a sleeper cryptocurrency because of its relative low price compared to its technological advancement. It's a BaaS (Blockchain as a Service) platform that aims to provide enterprise level Blockchains and services to companies like Microsoft. AntShares/NEO is also considered a sleeper cryptocurrency by many.

The cryptocurrency market can seem volatile compared to traditional markets. There is more up and down movement, but the general trend line is a strong uptrend. A lot of people believe Ethereum alone will be worth over $1,000 a token in the next year or two. That will drive the prices of many other currencies up a lot.

Bitcoin, the oldest of popular cryptocurrencies and current market leader in terms of market cap, but not technology, is facing a potential split on or around August 1. There are a number of possible scenarios, including breaking Bitcoin into two separate coins. This could cause what is referred to as The Flippening to occur, and if it does, look for Ethereum to rapidly gain in price and for Bitcoin to fall from its first-place market share.

If (or, most likely, when) this event does happen, Ethereum could be more of the market indicator than Bitcoin currently is. Meaning, if Ethereum goes up, everything else tends to go up, which has been the case for Bitcoin recently, as it tends to control the market.

The market as a whole has been particularly strong in recent weeks. Ethereum was worth as much as $420 a token and as little as the $180 range in the last few weeks. But the strength of the market really shined when the $180 "drop" happened and it quickly re-tested $200 multiple times and showed that $200 was the current floor price. This creates a sense of security in the market and helps people believe in it more long term when they see these quick rebounds from drops in price.

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