Basic Ways To Improve Your Personal Internet Security

The cybersecurity threats follow the rise and have become a major problem for the entire technology sector, from a young man who begins on the Internet with your smartphone to a large company. The introduction of malware on all types of platforms, data theft, invasion of privacy or DDoS attacks on commercial services and the use of cyber espionage strategies in attacks directed against strategic companies, has been a constant in recent years and it forces users and companies to take proactive measures to control it.

In addition, the era of mobility in which we find ourselves has increased the ways of hosting information and also the way of accessing it, now possible from multiple devices. The rise of the BYOD phenomenon - despite its advantages - has increased the number of vulnerable devices that connect to corporate networks and have access to corporate data. Quite a challenge for IT departments.

Equipment manufacturers and suppliers strive to include the latest security technologies in their equipment, but these characteristics may be insufficient if the user or professional is not aware of the importance of this section and reinforces their security. We remind you of some basic protection measures to navigate the network of networks, mitigate risk and protect personal and professional data:

1- Common sense

Prudence is the best barrier against malware. Take special care of the section on downloads and installation of applications from unsafe sites; browsing certain Internet pages; the opening of unsolicited emails or attachments or that come from unknown senders or those that come from social networks or messaging applications that contain vulnerabilities exploitable by cybercriminals for malware campaigns.

2- Use security solutions

There are multiple providers that offer both commercial and total security solutions whose use should be assessed. The same with native anti-malware applications that some operating systems include. A mobile business professional should value the use of a comprehensive business security suite and also other security tools such as a firewall or data encryption systems.

3- Update the operating system and applications

All operating systems have tools to keep your computers up to date. And they are mandatory because they include total security software updates against known threats. As important -or more- than the above is the update of installed applications to the latest versions since these usually include security patches. When the versions are older, they have a greater risk of being attacked by cybercriminals who find vulnerabilities in the program, with special incidence in some such as Java, Adobe Flash or Reader.

4- Protect browsers

All web browsers include advanced internet security features whose activation we must review and configure because they are the applications with which we access the Internet and its services. In addition to end-to-end encryption in synchronization or sandboxing, we must pay attention to warnings about insecure sites displayed by browsers. Also check the installed extensions because some are a frequent source of malware introduction. Another interesting possibility to improve privacy is to use a session in "Guest Mode" which is totally detached from the user's original profile, including configuration or history.

5- Take care of passwords

In addition to the use of advanced biometric identification techniques in equipment that includes them, the golden rule to be safe online is to have a strong and different random password for each website, especially for use in those intended for online banking and commerce electronic. Long and complex passwords (combining numbers, capital letters and symbols) prevent brute force attacks, and using a different password for each account avoids having all of them compromised at once when a data breach occurs. You can use password managers that create and remember them for us.

6- Use two-factor authentication

Two-factor (or two-step) authentication provides an additional level of account security over typical passwords as it is not enough to just breach the username and password. The service is available on most major Internet services and should be used whenever possible. Generally, it uses a verification code served through a mobile application or SMS, to apply in addition to the username and password when logging in.

7- Make backup copies

100% security in a connected world simply does not exist and not only because of a virus since a hardware can error cause the loss of precious personal and / or professional information. Making backup copies is therefore highly recommended for a user or professional who seeks to protect personal and corporate information on a computer in addition to being a maintenance task that contributes to the health of the hardware. Backups must be stored on a storage device external to our team or on a cloud storage service.

8- Caution with public Wi-Fi networks

Wireless and free Internet access points have spread to multiple areas in towns, restaurants, airports, train or metro stations, hotels and in all types of businesses. Demonstrated highly insecure, they can be used for inconsequential browsing, keeping due precautions, but not for accesses that require showing your data, accesses and passwords. A mobile business user should not rely on them for their professional activity, opting for more secure dedicated mobile broadband networks.

9- Activate the system restore

Restoring operating systems is a tool that can "save our lives" in the event of a software error, driver installation or an application that does not work properly, and also when a virus enters our computer. System recovery tools allow you to revert the changes made to the operating system files, settings, settings, drivers, registry keys or installed programs, which sometimes destabilize the operating system.

10- Value data encryption

Encrypting or "encoding" the data on your computer to keep it protected against threats such as data theft or exposure in the event of loss, theft or inappropriate removal of equipment, is an interesting measure especially in the professional and corporate segment. Software vendors offer multiple solutions to do this, and some operating systems have native tools.