Cybersecurity|| Protect Your Computing Devices From Viruses, Hackers, Spies|| LearnTopicWise

Protect Your Computing Devices From Viruses, Hackers, Spies-

Nowadays we use internet-connected devices on all sides of our lives. We go online to search for any type of data like- shop, bank, do homework, play games, and stay in touch with family and friends through social networking. 

Your computing devices store your data and are the portal to your online life. Below is a shortlist of steps you can take to protect your computing devices from intrusion:

Keep the Firewall On – 

A firewall blocks hackers, viruses, and other potentially malicious traffic on the internet. Most computers have a built-in firewall that is designed to protect it from attack. Whether it is a software firewall or a hardware firewall on a router, the firewall should be turned on and updated to prevent hackers from accessing your personal or company data. Click Windows 7 and 8.1 or Windows 10 to turn on the firewall in the respective version of Windows. 

 

Use Antivirus and Antispyware –

Malicious software, such as viruses, Trojan horses, worms, ransomware and spyware, are installed on your computing devices without your permission, in order to gain access to your computer and your data. Viruses can destroy your data, slow down your computer, or take over your computer. One way viruses can take over your computer is by allowing spammers to broadcast emails using your account. Spyware can monitor your online activities, collect your personal information, or produce unwanted pop-up ads on your web browser while you are online. A good rule is to only download software from trusted websites to avoid getting spyware in the first place. Antivirus software is designed to scan your computer and incoming email for viruses and delete them. Sometimes antivirus software also includes antispyware. Keep your software up to date to protect your computer from the newest malicious software.

Manage Your Operating System and Browser –

Hackers are always trying to take advantage of vulnerabilities in your operating systems and your web browsers. To protect your computer and your data, set the security settings on your computer and browser at medium or higher. Update your computer’s operating system including your web browsers and regularly download and install the latest software patches and security updates from the vendors.

Protect All Your Devices – 

Your computing devices, whether they are PCs, laptops, tablets, or smartphones, should be password protected to prevent unauthorized access. The stored information should be encrypted, especially for sensitive or confidential data. For mobile devices, only store necessary information, in case these devices are stolen or lost when you are away from your home. If any one of your devices is compromised, the criminals may have access to all your data through your cloud-storage service provider, such as iCloud or Google drive.

IoT devices pose an even greater risk than your other computing devices. While desktop, laptop and mobile platforms receive frequent software updates, most of the IoT devices still have their original firmware. If vulnerabilities are found in the firmware, the IoT device is likely to stay vulnerable. To make the problem worse, IoT devices are often designed to call home and require Internet access. To reach the Internet, most IoT devices manufacturers rely on the customer’s local network. The result is that IoT devices are very likely to be comprised and when they are, they allow access to the customer’s local network and data. The best way to protect yourself from this scenario is to have IoT devices using an isolated network, sharing it only with other IoT devices.

Use Wireless Networks Safely-

Wireless networks allow Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops and tablets, to connect to the network by way of the network identifier, known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). To prevent intruders from entering your home wireless network, the pre-set SSID and the default password for the browser-based administrative interface should be changed. Hackers will be aware of this kind of default access information. Optionally, the wireless router can also be configured to not broadcast the SSID, which adds an additional barrier to discovering the network. However, this should not be considered adequate security for a wireless network. Furthermore, you should encrypt wireless communication by enabling wireless security and the WPA2 encryption feature on the wireless router. Even with WPA2 encryption enabled, the wireless network can still be vulnerable.

In October 2017, a security flaw in the WPA2 protocol was discovered. This flaw allows an intruder to break the encryption between the wireless router and the wireless client, and allow the intruder to access and manipulate the network traffic. This vulnerability can be exploited using Key Reinstallation Attacks (KRACK). It affects all modern, protected Wi-Fi networks. To mitigate an attacker, a user should update all affected products: wireless routers and any wireless-capable devices, such as laptops and mobile devices, as soon as security updates become available. For laptops or other devices with wired NIC, a wired connection could mitigate this vulnerability. Furthermore, you can also use a trusted VPN service to prevent unauthorized access to your data while you are using the wireless network.

Use Unique Passwords for Each Online Account-

To prevent unauthorized physical access to your computing devices, use passphrases, rather than passwords. It is easier to create a long passphrase than a password, because it is generally in the form of a sentence rather than a word. The longer length makes passphrases less vulnerable to dictionary or brute force attacks. Furthermore, a passphrase maybe easier to remember, especially if you are required to change your password frequently. Here are some tips in choosing good passwords or passphrases:

Tips in choosing a good passphrase:

• Choose a meaningful statement to you.
• Add special characters, such as ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ).
• The longer the better.
• Avoid common or famous statements, for example, lyrics from a popular song.

Recently, United States National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) published improved password requirements. NIST standards are intended for government application but can also serve as a standard for others as well. The new guidelines aim to provide better user experience and put the burden of user verification on the providers.

Summary of the new guidelines:

• 8 characters minimum in length, but no more than 64 characters
• No common, easily guessed passwords, such as password, abc123
• No composition rules, such as having to include lowercase and uppercase letters and numbers
• Improve typing accuracy by allowing the user to see the password while typing
• All printing characters and spaces are allowed
• No password hints
• No periodical or arbitrary password expiration
• No knowledge-based authentication, such as information from shared secret questions, marketing data, transaction history

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