EC2 VPC VPN Gets an Update with NAT Traversal, Additional Encryption Options, and More

You can use Amazon Virtual Private Cloud to create a logically isolated section of the AWS Cloud. Within the VPC, you can define your desired IP address range, create subnets, configure route tables, and so forth. You can also use a network gateway to connect the VPC to your existing on-premises network using a hardware Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. The VPN running in the AWS Cloud (also known as a VPN gateway or VGW) communicates with a customer gateway (CGW) on your network or in your data center (read about Your Customer Gateway to learn more).

Source: EC2 VPC VPN Update – NAT Traversal, Additional Encryption Options, and More | AWS Official Blog

This raises some interesting possibilities for secure applications that would benefit from the heightened security for the data being moved.

Let’s Encrypt aims to bring web encryption to all sites for free

What is Let’s Encrypt?
Basically, it’s a way to get a quick x509 certificate for your server without knowing much about what is a x509 certificate:

Let’s Encrypt Overview – http://www.cryptologie.net/article/274/lets-encrypt-overview/

If this works out it will go skiing way to securing all web traffic. The Let’s Encrypt site is at https://letsencrypt.org/ and the code is open source at https://github.com/letsencrypt.

Overstock Will Issue a Private Bond Powered by Bitcoin Tech | WIRED

OVERSTOCK.COM IS PREPARING to offer a $25 million private bond using the blockchain, the distributed online ledger that underpins the bitcoin digital currency.

Earlier this week, the online retailer circulated a document among hedge funds, private equity groups, and other potential Wall Street investors indicating it was offering such a bond. Company CEO Patrick Byrne, the circular says, “believes that cryptotechnology can do for the capital market what the internet has done for consumers”—a reference to the type of technology that drives bitcoin.

Overstock Will Issue a Private Bond Powered by Bitcoin Tech | WIRED http://www.wired.com/2015/06/overstock-will-issue-private-bond-powered-bitcoin-tech/