It is a Buddhist temple, situated in Kamptee, Nagpur District of Maharashtra State, India. The Temple Dedicated to Lord Buddha. The temple with its fascinating architecture, pictorial landscape and a tranquil atmosphere attract a large number of tourists and devotees. The Dragon Palace Temple is about 18 km from Nagpur city, on the Nagpur – Jabalpur road.
The Temple considered as a landmark of Indo-Japan friendship. As Madam Noriko Ogawa from Ogawa Society Japan financially contributed to the construction of this beautiful piece of architecture. Dragon Palace Temple also Known as the ‘Lotus Temple of Nagpur’.
The architecture of Dragon Palace Temple. A unique temple for worship and meditation. It has emerged as one of the most popular attractions for the people coming to Nagpur. It spread over an area of approximately 10 acres. Also, It comprises a magnificent Buddhist prayer center, which offers peace and serenity to its visitors.
The colossal statue of Lord Buddha is the idol that has been carved out of a single block of sandalwood. Also, It surrounded by verdant green, skilfully landscaped gardens with colorful flowers that spread a pleasant fragrance in the environs.
The walls of the temple have painted in the bright white color that symbolizes peace, clarity, and divinity. Also, Dragon Palace Temple of Kamptee was felicitated with the International Award for the best concrete structure of the world.
A stone pillar stands in the city of Nagpur, known quite simply as the Zero Mile Stone. Set up during the days of the British Raj, some say it marked the then geographical centre of India. Various distances have been marked on the pillar. There are other such pillars in the country which are living relics of the Great Trigonometric Survey of India — a cartographic or mapping exercise that mapped the contours of India. A survey pillar stands in North Parganas, Bengal. Started in 1802 by the East India Company, it was completed nearly seventy years later in 1871! In the process, four surveyors, including George Everest started and completed their terms!
In 1802, William Lambton began surveying India under the auspices of the East India Company. He was a young British officer, serving in the British Army against Tipu Sultan. Already having shown his acumen at surveying land in the United States, his proposal to survey the Indian Peninsula was accepted by Arthur Wellesley. Using rudimentary instruments, in April 1802, the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India began near Chennai, then Madras.
Using a flat plain as a baseline and topographic features such as hills, the land was surveyed. The process consisted of carefully constructing accurately measured triangles, hence the name ‘Triangulation’. At the end of 1806, it was found that the width of the peninsula was forty miles lesser than the previously presumed measurements! In places such as Tanjore, the pinnacles of temples were used for triangulation.
In 1818, he was joined by a young assistant named George Everest. By this time, most of India had fallen to the British and the Peshwa had been pensioned off to Bithur (Kanpur). The Great Trigonometric Survey could now proceed north. A few years later, Lambton, rather fittingly, died at Hinganghat while travelling from Hyderabad to Nagpur to continue the survey. In twenty years of non-stop work, he had surveyed two lakh square miles of the subcontinent!
The work then passed on to George Everest, who surveyed up to Sironj in today’s Madhya Pradesh, till ill health required him to be recalled to England. Another officer — Joseph Olliver — in his absence surveyed the country from Sironj to Calcutta. Everest returned after spending five years in England, with improved instruments. He resumed work north of the river Chambal. While peninsular India had offered hills, mountains as also flag staffs and coastal features for the survey work, no such help was forthcoming in the flat plains of Terai. Frequent sandstorms added to the trouble. George Everest surmounted this difficulty by erecting observation towers of stone, each thirty feet high. Over the next few years, the survey progressed by the usual painstaking methods and star observations towards the Shivalik hills. Dehradun was also covered by 1841. Two years later, owing to ill health, George Everest retired, but not before he had completely changed the face of carrying out the survey. He brought new instruments and devised methods of calculation superior to his predecessors. He improved on Lambton’s slow method of triangulation and thus, covered a huge swathe of the country.
Just like Col Lambton’s assistant had succeeded him, Col Everest’s assistant, Col Waugh took over the operations. The next five years were spent in calculating the positions and heights of the humongous Himalayan peaks.
Seventy-nine Himalayan peaks were thus covered. Thirty of these peaks were renamed, including Peak No XV, which was renamed to Mt Everest. The survey progressed simultaneously under other officers — from Mumbai towards Mahabaleshwar and south towards Goa . While all this was happening, the East India Company had managed to annex Sindh and Punjab, and Col Waugh readily took up the new survey as a brilliant opportunity. Starting from the already surveyed portion of Dehradun, he proposed to do a continuous survey all across Punjab to Attock, and from Sironj to Karachi. Together, it came to over fifty thousand square miles. From 1856 onwards, under a surveyor named Montgomery, the survey moved north from Sialkot once again into the Himalayas, in what is now PoK. A number of peaks were surveyed, including a certain high peak called Godwin — Austen, named after another British surveyor who surveyed lakes and glaciers in Tibet. Its ‘temporary’ survey number has also endured — Mount K2! In five years, ninety thousand square miles were surveyed with observation stations being set up in the snow and at heights over six kilometres! While the Trigonometric Survey was mapping the broader contours of the country, a Topographical Survey was making more detailed drawings of the interiors. A parallel Revenue survey, even larger in scale was carried out to delineate village and land holding boundaries. Col Blacker succeeded Col Waugh, and in his tenure, the coastline from Calcutta to Madras was surveyed. It had taken over sixty years since Col Lambton began his survey from the same point!
In the centre of all these lines of triangulation mapping the four corners of the country, stands a stone pillar – the Zero Mile Stone!
You love your Android phone and you love to go to the Play Store and download exciting new apps. You have also been through the Crazy Birds obsession and the Candi Crush mania. But do you know that your Android phone is not secured against the smartest of breaches: mobile app hackers. Before we go ahead and explain the intensity of this threat to mobile apps, especially Android apps, let’s have a look at the facts and figures, reported by Arxan, regarding mobile app hacks:
97% of top 100 paid Android apps have been hacked.
87% of top 100 paid iOS apps have been hacked.
80% of popular free Android apps have been hacked.
75% of the popular free iOS apps have been hacked.
and more 97% of top 100 paid Android apps have been hacked. 87% of top 100 paid iOS apps have been hacked. 80% of popular free Android apps have been hacked. 75% of the popular free iOS apps have been hacked.
These facts and figures are horrifying. What we once considered a safe way of computing, exchanging information and thoughts and communicating with others, has turned out to be totally vulnerable to security threats like mobile app breaches. Our intention is not to frighten you, but reality is harsh. The oh so glorious Google’s Android OS is not safe. What if we tell you that an app that you have on your Android phone, is likely to be a fake, produced by some smart cybercriminals? After Google decided to transform the Android Market into Google Play, such criminals have great fun producing fake apps. Even Google Play is compromised, what do you expect from Android apps on your phone?
What to do? One option might be to live in a layman’s Utopia and believe that malwares and hacking are only for computers, and that your smart phone is immune. Another option, and a smart one, is to consider a security plan against mobile app hacking. When we talk about the security of apps on your mobile phone, specifically for an Android phone, the security can be provided at three different levels. One layer of protection is on device level; it varies from device to device and approach focuses on the device and not the operating system, let alone the vulnerable apps. Another layer of security is on the operating system level. This may vary from iOS to Android, but again the vulnerability of apps is not fully addressed in this type of security doctrine. A whole new level of security is at the application level. There are different types of apps in a mobile phone. We are not discussing the difference due to their functions e.g. fun, games, entertainment or communication but by the difference design of the apps. The more important apps are the custom apps presented in every Android phone. Just imagine if someone successfully infiltrates into your Gmail app? Your personal correspondence and financial communication would be at the mercy of a vicious stranger.
You need maximum security, and that can only be ensured with the help of a reliable tool to provide security on the application level. This type of security ensures that you get strong protection against app hacking attempts and keep your financial and personal details safe.
Enjoy using certain custom and downloaded apps on your Android phone all you want, but bear in mind the importance of maximum app security.
It’s hard to imagine a world without cellphones. Whether it be a smartphone or a flip phone, these devices have truly shaped the late 20th century and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. But while users have become accustomed to having almost everything they could ever want at fingertips length, cybercriminals were busy setting up shop. To trick unsuspecting users, cybercriminals have set up crafty mobile threats – some that users may not even be fully aware of. These sneaky cyberthreats include SMSishing, fake networks, malicious apps, and grayware, which have all grown in sophistication over time. This means users need to be equipped with the know-how to navigate the choppy waters that come with these smartphone-related cyberthreats. Let’s get started.
Watch out for SMSishing Hooks
If you use email, then you are probably familiar with what phishing is. And while phishing is commonly executed through email and malicious links, there is a form of phishing that specifically targets mobile devices called SMSishing. This growing threat allows cybercriminals to utilize messaging apps to send unsuspecting users a SMSishing message. These messages serve one purpose – to obtain personal information, such as logins and financial information. With that information, cybercriminals could impersonate the user to access banking records or steal their identity.
While this threat was once a rarity, it’s rise in popularity is two-fold. The first aspect being that users have been educated to distrust email messages and the second being the rise in mobile phone usage throughout the world. Although this threat shows no sign of slowing down, there are ways to avoid a cybercriminal’s SMSishing hooks. Get started with these tips:
Always double-check the message’s source. If you receive a text from your bank or credit card company, call the organization directly to ensure the message is legit.
Delete potential SMSishing Do not reply to or click on any links within a suspected malicious text, as that could lead to more SMSishing attempts bombarding your phone.
Invest in comprehensive mobile security. Adding an extra level of security can not only help protect your device but can also notify you when a threat arises.
Public Wi-Fi Woes
Public and free Wi-Fi is practically everywhere nowadays, with some destinations even having city-wide Wi-Fi set up. But that Wi-Fi users are connecting their mobile device to may not be the most secure, given cybercriminals can exploit weaknesses in these networks to intercept messages, login credentials, or other personal information. Beyond exploiting weaknesses, some cybercriminals take it a step further and create fake networks with generic names that trick unsuspecting users into connecting their devices. These networks are called “evil-twin” networks. For help in spotting these imposters, there are few tricks the savvy user can deploy to prevent an evil twin network from wreaking havoc on their mobile device:
Look for password-protected networks. As strange as it sounds, if you purposely enter the incorrect password but are still allowed access, the network is most likely a fraud.
Pay attention to page load times. If the network you are using is very slow, it is more likely a cybercriminal is using an unreliable mobile hotspot to connect your mobile device to the web.
Use a virtual private network or VPN. While you’re on-the-go and using public Wi-Fi, add an extra layer of security in the event you accidentally connect to a malicious network. VPNs can encrypt your online activity and keep it away from prying eyes.
Malicious Apps: Fake It till They Make It
Fake apps have become a rampant problem for Android and iPhone users alike. This is mainly in part due to malicious apps hiding in plain sight on legitimate sources, such as the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. After users download a faulty app, cybercriminals deploy malware that operates in the background of mobile devices which makes it difficult for users to realize anything is wrong. And while users think they’ve just downloaded another run-of-the-mill app, the malware is hard at work obtaining personal data.
In order to keep sensitive information out of the hands of cybercriminals, here are a few things users can look for when they need to determine whether an app is fact or fiction:
Check for typos and poor grammar. Always check the app developer name, product title, and description for typos and grammatical errors. Often, malicious developers will spoof real developer IDs, even just by a single letter or number, to seem legitimate.
Examine the download statistics. If you’re attempting to download a popular app, but it has a surprisingly low number of downloads, that is a good indicator that an app is most likely fake.
Read the reviews. With malicious apps, user reviews are your friend. By reading a few, you can receive vital information that can help you determine whether the app is fake or not.
The Sly Operation of Grayware
With so many types of malware out in the world, it’s hard to keep track of them all. But there is one in particular that mobile device users need to be keenly aware of called grayware. As a coverall term for software or code that sits between normal and malicious, grayware comes in many forms, such as adware, spyware or madware. While adware and spyware can sometimes operate simultaneously on infected computers, madware — or adware on mobile devices — infiltrates smartphones by hiding within rogue apps. Once a mobile device is infected with madware from a malicious app, ads can infiltrate almost every aspect on a user’s phone. Madware isn’t just annoying; it also is a security and privacy risk, as some threats will try to obtain users’ data. To avoid the annoyance, as well as the cybersecurity risks of grayware, users can prepare their devices with these cautionary steps:
Be sure to update your device. Grayware looks for vulnerabilities that can be exploited, so be sure to always keep your device’s software up-to-date.
Beware of rogue apps. As mentioned in the previous section, fake apps are now a part of owning a smartphone. Use the tips in the above section to ensure you keep malicious apps off of your device that may contain grayware.
Consider a comprehensive mobile security system. By adding an extra level of security, you can help protect your devices from threats, both old and new.
Just about everyone these days has a cell phone, and it has become intrinsically linked to our identity. Identity thieves are always searching for new ways to get your information and use it for identity theft or fraud.
The most significant danger of handing out your mobile device number is that it could fall into the hands of a cybercriminal and steal information from cell phone. With so much information available in public records and sold on the dark web from data breaches, your cell phone number could link you to a lot of other personal or sensitive information like logins, usernames, passwords, and more.
SMS Insecurity
A lot of apps are linked to your cell phone number also. Using two-factor authentication is great and keeps things safer, but if you have compromised phone number, then hackers have the keys to the kingdom. Some SMS systems are insecure and hackable. Therefore, someone would potentially get that special code that is texted to you from an app, and they could log into your account and change the password before you even realize what is going on. It’s crucial to use end-to-end encrypted SMS platforms for all your communications.
SIM Swapping
SIM swapping is another danger where nefarious criminals use SIM cards linked to your phone to steal access to your phone number and carrier account. This type of danger is very real and scary and usually involves social engineering to trick the phone company representative. By having your cell number, a scammer could trick caller ID systems and get into your financial accounts or call financial institutions that use your phone number to identify you.
Once the scammer convinces your carrier to port out your number, you may never get it back. Scam porting is a big problem for phone owners.
Can Someone Steal My Phone Number?
Yes. Your phone number is out there on the web in various locations. Scammers can use stolen cell phone numbers and use it for two-factor authentication codes and other access to all your texts, apps, and other online accounts, they could have your cell phone number hijacked and do it through SIM swapping. This is how it occurs:
First, they buy a burner phone and pop a new SIM card into it. They then call your wireless phone carrier and pretend to be you. If the hacker has enough information to convince the person, they may transfer your service and phone number to that blank SIM card and the new burner phone. Now your phone number has been stolen, and you aren’t even aware of it. All your texts, phone calls, and 2FA codes will now go to the hacker’s phone instead of yours. If you have access to bank accounts and other apps tied to your phone number, they will now have access to that stuff as well. Many location-based systems will think it’s you just by the scammer calling from your phone number. If hackers get this far, they can then change all your passwords and lock you out of your own accounts. Very scary stuff.
How Do Scammers Get Your Phone Number?
One of the most common ways scammers get your phone number is through the many data breaches and treasure troves of raw data found and sold on the dark web.
Another way is by picking through your trash and grabbing an old bill with your phone number on it.
Using a people search site, someone could glean a whole lot of information on cell phone numbers, such as any criminal records, past addresses, social media accounts, arrests, warrants, court cases, relatives’ information, and more.
How Much Info Can You Get From a Cell Phone Number?
It’s actually quite shocking how much information you can get from just a cell phone number. The list begins with your name and possibly address. Some other things might be:
What Steps to Take if Scammers are Using Your Phone Number
The best way to avoid this cybersecurity disaster is to prevent it from ever happening. However, if you suddenly find that scammers are using your phone number to commit fraud or scam others, you should take these immediate steps:
Contact your wireless service provider and report the abuse. Ask them to put a secondary password on your account so no one can take it over without the password.
Let your friends and family know that your number is being used in this way.
Stop giving your phone number out online and to anyone who requests it.
Stay clear of websites and apps that link to your phone.
Turn on two-factor authentication for all your accounts.
Get a phone number through Google voice which is not linked to anything else.
Never click on links in texts or email. Malware is often linked to text messages or email.
Use very strong passwords and never reuse them on multiple websites.
Use third-party authenticators when you can.
Update your security questions on all accounts including Gmail.
Do all you can to keep your phone number safe from hackers and identity thieves.
At the very least, you need to understand the damage done when a hacker gains access to your email. Here are just a few ways in which cyber-criminals can exploit your email address.
Scamming Your Contact List
This is where most hackers begin. When they gain entry to your email account, they also gain access to your digital contact list. If you have ever received a strange email from a friend asking you to click a link or send money, chances is hacking of the account. The link’s intention is to infect your computer or the money is going to the hacker.
Mass Email Scams
Once hackers have finished targeting your contacts, they will likely move on to larger email scams. They do this by using your email address to send out massive mailings to lists of unknown recipients. Phishing scams try to get recipients to click a spam link, download a malicious file, or send information or money is commonplace. Hackers rarely use email addresses traced back to them. Why should they when they can use an address that leads to you?
Infiltrating Devices and Programs
With strong password protection, a secure email service, and some common sense, such as not to click spam links or download dangerous files. This gives the opportunity to avoid having your email hacked. If hacked, however, chances are even HIPAA encryption levels cannot stop hackers from infiltrating your computer, programs, attached mobile devices, your cloud, and even online shopping accounts.
Most people put all their eggs in one basket. If hackers gain access to your email, they could have an open doorway to any number of other devices and accounts. They can use your email to reset other account passwords, gain access to credit information, or even delete accounts, such as social media profiles.
Ruining Your Online Reputation
With strong password protection, a secure email service, and some common sense, such as not to click spam links or download dangerous files. This gives the opportunity to avoid having your email hacked. If hacked, however, chances are even HIPAA encryption levels cannot stop hackers from infiltrating your computer, programs, attached mobile devices, your cloud, and even online shopping accounts.
Most people put all their eggs in one basket. If hackers gain access to your email, they could have an open doorway to any number of other devices and accounts. They can use your email to reset other account passwords, gain access to credit information, or even delete accounts, such as social media profiles.
Skip the debit card When shopping online it’s best to stick to credit cards or payment services like Paypal. Because debit cards are linked to your bank account, you’re at much higher risk if someone is able to hack your information. Credit cards offer more protection and less liability if a card number gets stolen. This is one time when it pays to put it on plastic.
“When a fraudulent site or transaction is found, credit card companies will typically immediately reverse the charge and conduct an investigation. “If you use your debit card and there is a problem, your bank may not give you the money back until after an investigation is conducted, which could take weeks or months.”
Shop secure sites only Before entering any personal or financial information, make sure you verify that the site you are on is legitimate and secure. The easiest way to tell is to look for “https” at the beginning of a site’s address. If you don’t see the “s” at the end of “http,” then the site is not encrypted and your data will not be secure. All legitimate shopping sites will have the “s” for your protection.
Update your software
Updating your software is one of the easiest things you can do to protect your information, but many people put it off. Software updates are often released to help improve security and fight new attacks that are being developed constantly. It may seem inconvenient to have to wait for your computer (or your smartphone) to go through updates and restart, but the protective benefits are well worth it. Next time you see an alert to update your software, do it.
Outsmart email scams The holidays are a great time for email scammers to send out viruses and malware in the guise of a gift or special offer. Don’t open emails from someone you don’t know or a site you haven’t visited. Another way the bad guys try to get you is with phony messages from your bank or other financial institution saying there is an alert or problem with your account. Always call the bank directly to verify any potential problems and never enter your account information in response to an email like this.
Don’t click on links In addition to sneaky attacks in emails, beware of links to deals that are too good to be true on social networking sites. Look out for unbelievable offers and holiday gifts and bonuses. If you’re really tempted by an offer, do some research or find out if anyone else has tried to take advantage of the deal before clicking.
Beef up your passwords Best Password Managers Buyers Guide Dashlane Password Manager Logo SEE TOP PICKS There’s a reason this piece of advice may sound like a broken record — it’s really important. Secure, unique passwords are your best gatekeepers when it comes to keeping your private information private. If you use the same password for multiple sites, take the time to change them up. If you want to be virtually hack-proof, use a password generator and manager to help you devise and keep track of the types of long, complicated passwords that are not worth a hacker’s time to crack.
Never give more info than needed Most websites you visit or shop on will ask you for information to complete your purchase or start a wish list. Give them only the information they require you to provide. If a complete address or phone number is optional, then skip those fields. The more info you put out there, the more accessible you are to a bad guy. And before committing your information to a site, take the time to read their privacy policy and find out exactly where and how your information will be shared.
Don’t go public Free hotspots are like manna from heaven when you’re out and about, but hackers like them even more than you do. Because public networks aren’t secured, any information you enter on a public network is ripe for the picking. Don’t log in to banking sites or payment sites like Paypal on a public network — and make sure that you are logged out of such sites on mobile devices before connecting to a public network.
Be smart about shopping apps Apps make everything more convenient, including stealing your private information. Only download shopping apps from a reliable source like the Apple App Store or Android Market. Pay attention to the permissions that the app asks for. If you see something that doesn’t make sense, like access to your contacts, make sure you don’t allow the app access to it. Checking out the comments and reviews of an app before downloading is another way to identify suspicious activity.
Put devices on lockdown One of the perks of online shopping is that you can do it from anywhere and use any device. Make sure every device that you shop from has security software in place. Always use a passcode to access your tablet or smartphone, and log off your computer or lock the screen when you walk away from it. After accessing a shopping or banking site, be sure to completely log out of the site before exiting, and don’t let your computer or device remember your usernames, passwords, or credit card information.
A stolen identity is even worse than a lump of coal in your stocking. Make sure you have only nice surprises this holiday season by sticking to these smart online shopping tips to keep you and your information protected.
Once your phone is hacked, your other devices may be next if they are connected. That’s because your overall online security is only as strong as the weakest link in your chain of connected devices. Malware can spread from your hacked phone to your tablet or another mobile device through the network.
This article identifies five mobile security threats and how you can help protect yourself from them.
1. Madware and spyware
Madware is short for mobile adware. It’s a script or program installed on your phone, often without your consent. Its job? To collect your data for the purpose of better targeting you with ads. On top of that, madware often comes attached at the hip with spyware. Spyware collects data about you based on your internet usage and transmits it to a third party. That data is then bought and used by companies to send you advertisements. However, seeing more ads is the least of your worries when it comes to spyware. It also collects information about your location, internet usage, and even your contacts. This makes it a problem not just for you, but perhaps also for everyone you know.
2. Viruses and Trojans
Viruses and Trojans can also attack your mobile devices. They typically come attached to what appear to be legitimate programs. They can then hijack your mobile device and mine the information it holds or has access to, such as your banking information. Viruses and Trojans have also been known to send premium text messages that can be costly
3. Drive-by downloads
Drive-by downloads refer to any malware installed on your device without consent. If you visit the wrong website or open the wrong email, you might be exposed to a drive-by download that automatically installs a malicious file on your mobile device. The file could be anything from adware, malware or spyware to something far more nefarious, like a bot, which can use your phone to perform malicious tasks.
4. Browser exploits
Browser exploits take advantage of known security flaws in your mobile browser. Browser exploits also work against other applications that function with your browser, such as PDF readers. If you see that your mobile browser’s homepage or search page has unexpectedly changed, it could be a sign that you’re a victim of a browser exploit.
5. Phishing and grayware apps
Phishing apps are a new take on an old theme. In the past, criminals would send emails that appeared to come from a trusted source. They’d ask for personal information, such as your password, hoping you’d be trusting enough to respond. Phishing apps are designed to look like real apps, and a mobile device’s smaller screen can make it even more difficult to tell the difference. These fake apps secretly collect the information you input — passwords, account numbers, and more.
Grayware apps aren’t completely malicious, but they can be troublesome because they often expose users to privacy risks.
How to protect yourself from mobile security threats
Mobile security threats may sound scary, but here are six steps you can take to help protect yourself from them.
Keep your software updated. Only 20 percent of Android devices are running the newest version and only 2.3 percent are on the latest release.1 Everything from your operating system to your social network apps are potential gateways for hackers to compromise your mobile device. Keeping software up to date ensures the best protection against most mobile security threats.
Choose mobile security. Just like computers, your mobile devices also need internet security. Make sure to select mobile security software from a trusted provider and keep it up to date.
Install a firewall. Most mobile phones do not come with any kind of firewall protection. Installing a firewall provides you with much stronger protection against digital threats and allows you to safeguard your online privacy.
Always use a passcode on your phone. Remember that loss or physical theft of your mobile device can also compromise your information.
Download apps from official app stores. Both the Google Play and Apple App stores vet the apps they sell; third-party app stores don’t always. Buying from well-known app stores may not ensure you never get a bad app, but it can help reduce your risk.
Always read the end-user agreement. Before installing an app, read the fine print. Grayware purveyors rely on your not reading their terms of service and allowing their malicious software onto your device.
