Browsing the Internet hides dangers and risks for cyber security: what are the main threats, and how to defend against them.
Guide To Safe Online Browsing
Another meaning of the concept of computer security is that which concerns the daily navigation of users. Learning to surf consciously is, in fact, the first step to protecting your online business day after day. From this point of view, it is certainly helpful to keep in mind some basic concepts: a guide to safe online browsing to be followed to minimize the risk during your sessions on the web.
This means, for example, learning to buy safely on the Internet and immediately identifying the typical signals of a potentially dangerous or scam site. An online navigation guide can also help you learn new functions to improve your Internet experience. Some do not know how to surf incognito, but also learn those who do not know how to set up parental controls: a software that imposes a content filter to protect minors online.
Lastly, an online navigation guide can provide helpful information to protect yourself from external malware and, in some cases, even hacker attacks. The first advice to follow to improve security while browsing is to choose the right browser. Browsers are applications that allow you to browse resources on the web: read pages, view photos, download content and so on. Individual browsers (Chrome, Safari, Opera, Mozilla, etc.) differ based on various features, including built-in security features.
What Is Malware
The term malware is a fusion of the English words ” malicious ” and ” software “: a term that can be translated into English with the words ” malicious software. ” As suggested by the name. Therefore, malware is programs explicitly designed to create damage: programs capable of disturbing both the operations carried out by a computer and those carried out by a user. Different types of malware are classified according to the disturbance/damage caused. Before we get into some of the current malware, we must take a small step back and clear up a misconception many fall into.
Users less prepared from the point of view of computer security tend to confuse malware and viruses: two programs with common elements that are not superimposable. The virus is, in fact, a specific type of malware: a “malicious” program, therefore, which, however, is designed to be able to replicate itself and infect the various files on computers. Another helpful distinction to keep in mind is that between viruses and worms: the latter is also malware capable of self-replicating itself. However, unlike a virus, a worm does not need to bind itself to an executable program: worms can spread even using computer networks.
To learn how to classify malware, we must start with a distinction of the components necessary for this type of program. On the one hand, malware needs a delivery system, a method that allows it to spread. On the other hand, it needs a code that allows it to cause damage: a function that, in IT security, is known as a ” payload. ” Let’s talk about delivery systems applied to malware. We think first of all of the trojans (in Italian “Trojan horses” ): valuable programs, which hide within them a code that activates another program, this time harmful.
What To Do And What To Avoid Online
As seen above, it is possible to browse the Internet, reducing the risk of encountering malware or hacker attacks. The first step is to make a series of important choices, identifying a browser and a search engine with a good level of integrated security. After that, you can add an adblocker type extension and maybe a VPN. The first is software capable of pre-filtering specific unwanted contents; the second, on the other hand, is a network that changes a user’s IP address and allows him to surf with an encrypted connection.
However, there are many other aspects to which you can pay attention to improve your IT security: minor daily procedures that can make the browsing experience even more serene. For example, it is always advisable to routinely clean up your contents, directly intervening in the ” history ” of your browser. Alternatively, you can learn how to surf incognito: take advantage of a site viewing mode that automatically deletes the various information of a session.
In fact, with incognito browsing, the browser does not save cookies or the history of the sites visited; neither searches nor the content is usually cached. Likewise, there are also some lousy surfing habits, which should be changed as soon as possible. From this point of view, a typical problem for millions of users is the choice of not sufficiently secure passwords. A secure password should consist of a sufficiently long and complex sequence of letters, numbers and special characters.
Buy Safely Online
Phishing scams persuade users to provide valuable personal information, such as financial data, passwords and access codes. The term ” phishing ” derives directly from the English ” fishing “or from the verb “to fish”: not surprisingly, these scams are aimed precisely at fishing sensitive data, promising unreal advantages. In this sense, a classic example of phishing emails comes from fictitious banks: credit institutions that promise large sums of money as long as you click on a link and enter your credentials.
Another sector in which, unfortunately, phishing proliferates is that of online purchases: every day, millions of emails are sent containing offers that are too good to be true. Offers that, in reality, only aims to convince less experienced users to leave sensitive data. To buy safely on the Internet, you must first rely on your common sense: this means, for example, ignoring and throwing away all those communications that are suspicious. More generally, it is always advisable to pay close attention to both the files that are opened (in the case of emails with attachments) and the links you click (in the case of browsing sessions).
An excellent method to shop safely on the Internet is to visit only accredited e-commerce sites with a history and a sufficient number of transactions behind them. The same goes for the number of feedback: the opinions of users who have used a service (in this case, e-commerce) and who publicly describe their experience (in this case, a shopping experience).
Protect Minors On The Internet
A further interpretation of the “online safety” theme relates to the type of content suitable or unsuitable for younger users. Protecting minors online does not only mean creating the conditions for them to avoid running into damage or scams: teaching them to buy safely on the Internet, to avoid malware, and not to leave sensitive data available to hackers and various malicious persons.
Protecting minors online also means having their browsing experience at heart: taking into account the type of sites they might come across and taking appropriate countermeasures, where possible. Many families are looking for information on how to set up parental controls on their children’s computers, or perhaps on their smartphones, their tablets, or their televisions. “parental control,” also known as ” parental control, “refers to the software that allows you to limit access to certain content. It can be television channels, websites, and computer programs, just as mobile applications.
The purpose of parental control is to protect minors, preventing them from accessing a whole series of content unsuitable for their age. Parental control is a particularly appreciated technology by families, but it is only a tool with all the limitations of the case. A tool capable of preventing minors from encountering unsuitable content but which cannot in any way make up for family education and culture.
What Is Ransomware, And How To Defend Yourself
Ransomware is a program that belongs to the category of malware: malicious software, which can do various types of damage to both a device and a user. Specifically, ransomware is linked to a ransom demand. Here’s roughly how ransomware works. First, the user downloads the program without realizing it. After that, the ransomware makes it impossible to read the files of the device under attack, thanks to a system of cryptographic keys.
At this point comes the ransom note: the victim receives a message that she discovers she has been attacked and is invited to pay to return to use the device in question. Otherwise, you will permanently lose all files compromised by the ransomware. Understanding ransomware, in general, is the first step needed to improve your cybersecurity. The next step is learning to recognize the different types of ransomware currently circulating. Traditional ransomware is also known as crypto, as it uses encryption to prevent access to files. Even more insidious are ransomware blockers: they can block an entire device.
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