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The World Wide Web entertains us, teaches us, introduces us, and helps us earn money. However, without knowledge of the rules of online hygiene, it is easy to become a victim of scammers or simple pests. We tell you how to protect yourself on the Internet and not lose your personal data.
What is the danger in general?
* Fraud. When a user pays for purchases or services with a bank card on a malicious site, the creators of the resource can get access to the user's banking details.
* Hacking accounts. This is the case when attackers get usernames and passwords from Yandex. Mail, online banking, or a social network.
• Data leak. Collecting a person's personal information for transmission to third parties. Facebook got into such a scandal. The social network allowed the mass transfer of data to 50 million users, who were then shown political targeted ads.
* Penetration. Providing remote access for fraudsters to a personal computer through malware.
* Phishing. Fake sites for popular services: social networks, payment resources, and online banking. Mailing lists that disguise themselves as mailings from reputable sites (Google, Mail.ru, Facebook, VK). They are designed for human inattention and try to get access to confidential data-usernames and passwords.
• Deception. Offer in social networks, online stores, and bulletin boards where the seller is ready to give the product for a low price. Payment is accepted online or by bank transfer. After that, the attacker disappears and does not get in touch.
To protect yourself on the Internet, you don't need to build a defense against every type of penetration – just follow comprehensive security measures and use common sense. This will reduce the likelihood of personal information leaks and prevent malicious software from getting started.
protect yourself online
This is the basic software that provides security. Antivirus software is designed to detect spyware, viruses, phishing resources, dangerous servers, and suspicious traffic. Popular antivirus programs deal with most of the threats that come to your computer from the network or removable media. However, they do not protect against user actions on sites. In other words, if the resource did not arouse the program's suspicions and opened, clicks on links or actions with elements will no longer be protected.
protect yourself online
A VPN is a secure network that hides your IP address and location. It securely encrypts all traffic and data transmitted from the device. If you need to bypass site blocking, gain anonymity online, or connect to Wi-Fi in a public place, use a VPN.
The technology itself works like this:
1. The information is encrypted on the device.
2. It is sent to the VPN provider's server.
3. It is decrypted on the server.
4. It is sent to its intended destination (the site server).
Thus, personal information is protected from interception, it is fully encrypted, and personal data is hidden. Blocking sites, for example, from Roskomnadzor stops working. Your online presence looks as if you accessed the Internet not from Russia, but from another country (where the VPN server is located).
Бесплатный VPN предлагают Windscribe and Privatix offer free VPNs Privatix.
protect yourself online
Temporary mail is a mailbox with a random address and a limited lifetime. It is useful when you need access to the service with registration, but you do not plan to use it for a long time. In addition, the "temporary workers" themselves are usually not asked to log in or provide personal information. Just go to the site and apply it.
There are a lot of temporary mail services and it is not difficult to find a convenient option. Pay attention to these:
• Temp Mail
• Dropmail
• Tempr
• EmailOnDeck
Such mail does not protect against consequences after clicking on suspicious links and does not prevent data from being "drained" on a phishing resource. But it helps to minimize incoming spam, which often hides such dangers.
protect yourself online
To avoid a personal data leak or spam attack on your email account, use resources with a network address that starts with HTTPS. This means that the connection between you and the server is encrypted – the information cannot be intercepted.
Modern browsers remind you of the risk of an unencrypted connection. If the data does not match when checking the certificate, a warning appears on the screen. However, you can ignore it by clicking "I accept the risk, go anyway".
To increase your security level, encrypt as much Internet traffic as you can with the HTTPS Everywhere extension . It automatically forces sites to use the HTTPS protocol instead of HTTP. It can be installed for free in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera browsers, including on mobile devices.
It also doesn't hurt to add protection for information stored in cloud storage. Install a program to encrypt data in the cloud, such as Boxcryptor or nCrypted Cloud .
protect yourself online
The complexity of passwords directly determines their reliability, so it is recommended to use long random combinations of characters. First, they are almost impossible to crack by brute force. Secondly, they are not linked to the user's identity.
A password in the form of your spouse's or child's name, date of birth, dog name, or favorite team name is directly linked to you. This is the information that attackers can pick up if they gain access to a social network, email, or computer.
So 17041991 is a bad password. Masha17041991 or 1704masha1991-also. And Vy0@$e6#Omx6 is a strong password. It is impossible to collect it based on data about a person, and it is technically difficult to find it by brute force.
Don't use the same passwords. Ideally, each case should have its own combination. It is dangerous to use the same code for all email accounts, social networks, and banking services.
It will be difficult to remember everything. So install a password manager for storage:
• KeePass
• LastPass
• RoboForm
* Protect (Yandex Browser add-on)
protect yourself online
To protect yourself online, use two-factor authentication. This means that when you try to log in to the service, you will need to specify two secret proof parameters. For standard login, there is only one such parameter – password. In the case of two-factor authorization, you will need to enter another one. Most often, this is a randomly generated code that is sent in an SMS to your phone. If an attacker got hold of the password, they will not be able to log in to the account.
Currently, two-factor authentication is used by most major services: Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yandex, Dropbox, VKontakte, Instagram. They use SMS messages, mobile apps, tokens (rarely), and backup keys to confirm this.
protect yourself online
Be careful with the files attached to your emails. Never open or run them if the source is unknown. Otherwise, make sure that they actually sent you an important document. Don't forget to check the file with your antivirus software to see if the sender is spreading threats but doesn't know it.
protect yourself online
Criminals improve their tools, and developers from the" bright " side – strengthen the defense. Both competitors learn each other's methods and try to respond to changes in a timely manner. New hacking and surveillance options are added to the network on a daily basis, so to reduce the risks to a minimum, you need to regularly update the software. This includes antivirus software, the operating system, and the browser.
A threat can enter your computer not only directly from the network or from a file sent to your email address. The source can be a local network at work, an infected device of one of the family members, or a vulnerable Wi-Fi point in a public place.
Try to check the security level of all devices and networks that you connect to. And in public places, it is best not to use open networks at all for online payment or authorization in web services (if there is no VPN).
protect yourself online
Use DuckDuckGo . This is a system that does not collect data about its visitors, does not store IP addresses and cookies. There are no ads here, and the search results are objective (Google and Yandex create a personalized results feed, which may not include some useful links). DuckDuckGo — will help you protect yourself on the Internet and ensure privacy while searching for information on the network.
protect yourself online
Tor is a sensational browser, which, contrary to ordinary opinion, is popular not only with drug dealers and terrorists. Tor passes the connection to the destination server through several intermediaries and, thus, hides data about the user and their device. No one will know what your IP address is, what sites you visit, and what files you transmit. The program prevents all elements that can potentially be used to get information about users from working.
protect yourself online
Any device that is easily lost must be additionally protected, i.e. set a graphic or digital code to unlock it. This is enough to prevent most of the dangers. Just don't choose dates or simple combinations to block.
To fully encrypt your devices, use the built-in functionality of the system. On Android, go to "Settings -> Security", on iOS, go to "Settings - > > Password".
What is the danger in general?
* Fraud. When a user pays for purchases or services with a bank card on a malicious site, the creators of the resource can get access to the user's banking details.
* Hacking accounts. This is the case when attackers get usernames and passwords from Yandex. Mail, online banking, or a social network.
• Data leak. Collecting a person's personal information for transmission to third parties. Facebook got into such a scandal. The social network allowed the mass transfer of data to 50 million users, who were then shown political targeted ads.
* Penetration. Providing remote access for fraudsters to a personal computer through malware.
* Phishing. Fake sites for popular services: social networks, payment resources, and online banking. Mailing lists that disguise themselves as mailings from reputable sites (Google, Mail.ru, Facebook, VK). They are designed for human inattention and try to get access to confidential data-usernames and passwords.
• Deception. Offer in social networks, online stores, and bulletin boards where the seller is ready to give the product for a low price. Payment is accepted online or by bank transfer. After that, the attacker disappears and does not get in touch.
What helps you protect yourself online?
To protect yourself on the Internet, you don't need to build a defense against every type of penetration – just follow comprehensive security measures and use common sense. This will reduce the likelihood of personal information leaks and prevent malicious software from getting started.
1. Antivirus Software
protect yourself online
This is the basic software that provides security. Antivirus software is designed to detect spyware, viruses, phishing resources, dangerous servers, and suspicious traffic. Popular antivirus programs deal with most of the threats that come to your computer from the network or removable media. However, they do not protect against user actions on sites. In other words, if the resource did not arouse the program's suspicions and opened, clicks on links or actions with elements will no longer be protected.
2. VPN
protect yourself online
A VPN is a secure network that hides your IP address and location. It securely encrypts all traffic and data transmitted from the device. If you need to bypass site blocking, gain anonymity online, or connect to Wi-Fi in a public place, use a VPN.
The technology itself works like this:
1. The information is encrypted on the device.
2. It is sent to the VPN provider's server.
3. It is decrypted on the server.
4. It is sent to its intended destination (the site server).
Thus, personal information is protected from interception, it is fully encrypted, and personal data is hidden. Blocking sites, for example, from Roskomnadzor stops working. Your online presence looks as if you accessed the Internet not from Russia, but from another country (where the VPN server is located).
Бесплатный VPN предлагают Windscribe and Privatix offer free VPNs Privatix.
3. Temporary anonymous email
protect yourself online
Temporary mail is a mailbox with a random address and a limited lifetime. It is useful when you need access to the service with registration, but you do not plan to use it for a long time. In addition, the "temporary workers" themselves are usually not asked to log in or provide personal information. Just go to the site and apply it.
There are a lot of temporary mail services and it is not difficult to find a convenient option. Pay attention to these:
• Temp Mail
• Dropmail
• Tempr
• EmailOnDeck
Such mail does not protect against consequences after clicking on suspicious links and does not prevent data from being "drained" on a phishing resource. But it helps to minimize incoming spam, which often hides such dangers.
4. Permanent encryption
protect yourself online
To avoid a personal data leak or spam attack on your email account, use resources with a network address that starts with HTTPS. This means that the connection between you and the server is encrypted – the information cannot be intercepted.
Modern browsers remind you of the risk of an unencrypted connection. If the data does not match when checking the certificate, a warning appears on the screen. However, you can ignore it by clicking "I accept the risk, go anyway".
To increase your security level, encrypt as much Internet traffic as you can with the HTTPS Everywhere extension . It automatically forces sites to use the HTTPS protocol instead of HTTP. It can be installed for free in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera browsers, including on mobile devices.
It also doesn't hurt to add protection for information stored in cloud storage. Install a program to encrypt data in the cloud, such as Boxcryptor or nCrypted Cloud .
5. Complex passwords
protect yourself online
The complexity of passwords directly determines their reliability, so it is recommended to use long random combinations of characters. First, they are almost impossible to crack by brute force. Secondly, they are not linked to the user's identity.
A password in the form of your spouse's or child's name, date of birth, dog name, or favorite team name is directly linked to you. This is the information that attackers can pick up if they gain access to a social network, email, or computer.
So 17041991 is a bad password. Masha17041991 or 1704masha1991-also. And Vy0@$e6#Omx6 is a strong password. It is impossible to collect it based on data about a person, and it is technically difficult to find it by brute force.
Don't use the same passwords. Ideally, each case should have its own combination. It is dangerous to use the same code for all email accounts, social networks, and banking services.
It will be difficult to remember everything. So install a password manager for storage:
• KeePass
• LastPass
• RoboForm
* Protect (Yandex Browser add-on)
6. Two-factor authorization (authentication)
protect yourself online
To protect yourself online, use two-factor authentication. This means that when you try to log in to the service, you will need to specify two secret proof parameters. For standard login, there is only one such parameter – password. In the case of two-factor authorization, you will need to enter another one. Most often, this is a randomly generated code that is sent in an SMS to your phone. If an attacker got hold of the password, they will not be able to log in to the account.
Currently, two-factor authentication is used by most major services: Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yandex, Dropbox, VKontakte, Instagram. They use SMS messages, mobile apps, tokens (rarely), and backup keys to confirm this.
7. Be careful with your email
protect yourself online
Be careful with the files attached to your emails. Never open or run them if the source is unknown. Otherwise, make sure that they actually sent you an important document. Don't forget to check the file with your antivirus software to see if the sender is spreading threats but doesn't know it.
8. Timely software updates
protect yourself online
Criminals improve their tools, and developers from the" bright " side – strengthen the defense. Both competitors learn each other's methods and try to respond to changes in a timely manner. New hacking and surveillance options are added to the network on a daily basis, so to reduce the risks to a minimum, you need to regularly update the software. This includes antivirus software, the operating system, and the browser.
9. Environmental safety
A threat can enter your computer not only directly from the network or from a file sent to your email address. The source can be a local network at work, an infected device of one of the family members, or a vulnerable Wi-Fi point in a public place.
Try to check the security level of all devices and networks that you connect to. And in public places, it is best not to use open networks at all for online payment or authorization in web services (if there is no VPN).
10. Secret search engine
protect yourself online
Use DuckDuckGo . This is a system that does not collect data about its visitors, does not store IP addresses and cookies. There are no ads here, and the search results are objective (Google and Yandex create a personalized results feed, which may not include some useful links). DuckDuckGo — will help you protect yourself on the Internet and ensure privacy while searching for information on the network.
11. Secret Browser
protect yourself online
Tor is a sensational browser, which, contrary to ordinary opinion, is popular not only with drug dealers and terrorists. Tor passes the connection to the destination server through several intermediaries and, thus, hides data about the user and their device. No one will know what your IP address is, what sites you visit, and what files you transmit. The program prevents all elements that can potentially be used to get information about users from working.
12. Phone and tablet
protect yourself online
Any device that is easily lost must be additionally protected, i.e. set a graphic or digital code to unlock it. This is enough to prevent most of the dangers. Just don't choose dates or simple combinations to block.
To fully encrypt your devices, use the built-in functionality of the system. On Android, go to "Settings -> Security", on iOS, go to "Settings - > > Password".
