How to use the Internet safely?

How to use the Internet safely?

Over the past 30 years, the Internet has developed to the point where it can be used for almost anything. Social media, searching for information, products or services, shopping, using electronic banking or doing various errands online and, of course, contacting people are the order of the day. The Internet has also become a place to do business, make money, and is a huge marketing tool that allows you to publish and promote content.

Every company is already promoting itself online. In addition, many things can be downloaded from the Internet, such as various programs, applications, music, movies or documents. This is convenient and easy for you, but unfortunately it comes with many dangers. So how to use the web safely and not get into trouble?

Rules for safe use of the web

There are many threats lurking on the Internet. From viruses and spyware, to inappropriate people, to scammers, to hackers and dangerous content. That’s why when surfing the Internet, it’s a good idea to follow these 10 rules for safe online use:

1. Set strong passwords for logging in.
2. Use only trusted networks, not free WiFi.
3. Use dongles.
4. Use an antivirus program.
5. Do not open suspicious messages or emails.
6. Update your operating system and browser regularly.
7. Only enter secure sites.
8. Don’t do anything under the influence of emotion.
9. Don’t click on any suspicious links, pop-up screens or suspicious ads.
10. Don’t give out personal information anywhere.

Use strong passwords

Today, you have to log in to most places on the web – you log in to social networks, email, online store accounts or online banking. When you register everywhere, you have to come up with a password, which should be strong. This means that it should be no shorter than 6 characters, and should contain lowercase and uppercase letters, as well as numbers and special characters. The more complicated the better, although it’s harder to remember, let alone dozens of them. However, don’t use the same password on two or more portals or save it in your browser. Easy passwords are more likely to be hacked and someone will take away your account, or in the worst case, steal your data and money. If you have trouble remembering passwords, don’t register on multiple sites. Alternatively, you can write down your passwords in a paper notebook, but on the condition that you keep a good eye on it so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Use only trusted networks

The safest, of course, is the home network, but sometimes you need to use the Internet outside the home. Then it’s best to use a mobile network instead of connecting to some free WiFi that doesn’t require a password. Having already connected to such a network, it is better not to log in anywhere, especially to banking or where you have sensitive data. If you already have to log in there, be sure to log out afterwards. Even office or hotel networks may not be secure and may be controlled by others. The same goes for public computers in schools, universities or libraries. Also, it’s better not to log in to the bank or social networks on them, and if you must, log out later and delete the data from your browser history.

Use dongles

The dongles are small USB pins, resembling the nano-receivers used for communication between wireless devices. In order to be able to log in to some domain on your device and share your password or personal information, you need to physically touch such a key. This secures on several levels, as any login can be a two-step process using just the key, and you can be sure that without your knowledge no email will be sent and no one will log in anywhere but you. In addition, once a virus hits your device, it won’t take your data outside.

Use antivirus software

Antivirus is a barrier to protect devices from unwanted malware, such as viruses and other spyware. They don’t protect against such software getting on the device itself, but detect and block it, moving infected files to quarantine and informing you and giving you a choice – you can either leave the files in quarantine or delete them. It is better to choose a paid antivirus because it has more advanced features and a larger virus database. Antiviruses also often tell you whether the site you want to access is safe and filter downloaded files for viruses.

Don’t open suspicious emails, text messages and social media messages

Everyone gets a ton of spam in their email inboxes in the form of newsletters, ads and other things. The same happens with text messages. Also on social media you may receive messages from various people, including strangers. Whether the message is from a friend or not, it is better not to open it and its contents if it arouses suspicion. Just opening a message doesn’t yet have negative consequences, but already clicking on suspicious content in the form of a link, video or advertisement can expose you to a hacking attack and phishing for data or even money. Do you get a message about a package that’s stuck or an unpaid bill that you probably paid after all? Before you click on the link to pay the quoted, usually small amount, think about the fact that you didn’t order anything after all, or you paid everything. Reason is the key!

Update systems and browsers regularly

Updating software is not a pleasure, as it often takes a long time and it is not uncommon for something to fail to install or for devices to crash due to an update coming up for installation. However, regularity of updates is very important for security. Every program and system has some vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can find and exploit. New updates include not only improvements and fixed bugs, but also security patches, making the latest versions of programs more secure than older ones.

Only go to secure sites

Visiting only those sites that have safety certificates is a must. If the browser does not show information about the danger and problems with loading the page, there is nothing to worry about. When, on the other hand, it lets you know that something is wrong, it is better to refrain from visiting such a site. The browser catches a missing or outdated security certificate, which ensures the encryption of data between the user and the server of the site in question. Thus, the data provided on the site is difficult to intercept. How do you recognize that a site has a certificate? By the HTTPS designation.

Don’t act under the influence of emotions

Emotions are always the worst advisor. Emotions such as illusory time pressure, fear or helplessness need to be fought and not allowed to get carried away. Often cybercriminals try to evoke just such emotions, and through them – in the long run – an action that will help them obtain your data. They threaten that your electricity will be cut off because you haven’t paid your bill, or that they will publish something you don’t want to brag about if you don’t give or pay them something. Instead of getting carried away by your emotions, it’s better to calmly think through the situation, disconnect the external drives from your laptop, disconnect from the network and even notify the police.

Don’t click on any suspicious links, windows or ads

This type of content is often a relay for malware. Once the virus settles on your device, it will only pop up more and more of them. Ignore any ads about winning an I-phone or someone wanting to give you some big money. If you notice such content on a page where it wasn’t there, it means you already have infected hardware. Then you need to do an antivirus scan and delete the files indicated by the program. It’s worth remembering that by hitting such content on social media, you may also expose your friends. Sometimes you don’t even know that this content is being sent from you to them. So you can not only lose your data and security yourself, but also lose your friends, who will get in trouble because of it.

Avoid giving out personal information

When you create an account on some portal or online store, you have to provide the necessary personal information. It is worth remembering that no portal or store ever asks for sensitive personal data, such as PESEL or ID number. If you set up an account somewhere for earning money or for using subscription services, only then do you have to provide the data, including sensitive data, necessary for withdrawing funds or collecting fees. Then it’s safe, but never give the data under any pressure, coercion, persuasion or other excuse. In addition, when you want to brag about an achievement and a photo of some diploma or certificate, make sure there is no sensitive data on the document and at least blur it out before publishing the photo. If your data ends up in the wrong hands, you may end up having a loan taken out against you or an illegal business set up on your data. This is huge trouble for you, not for the criminal. You are the one who will suddenly get a schedule of installments to pay, for example.

Security of the company’s computer network

Taking care of your individual online security is not difficult, but controlling the security of the entire company’s computer network is quite a challenge, yet it should be on the pedestal in every organization.

A firewall is an essential component of network security and protection that should be in place for any corporate infrastructure. It protects against simple attacks, viruses or malware. In addition, it also protects against phishing, that is, fake sites that impersonate banks, mobile operators or payments. ITH, as part of its NaaS, or Network as a Service, package, offers access to modern Fortigate Firewalls, which the company delivers to customers along with full 24/7 service and support. As part of ITH’s NaaS Firewall service, you can count on:

• antivirus program,
• anti-malware program,
• Protection against intruders and botnets,
• Inspection of encrypted traffic,
• application control,
• Web content filtering,
• VPN tunnel support.

In a company, it is very important to take care of the security of not only employee data, but especially customer data, which is confidential. Adequate security against data leaks, hacker attacks and unsafe software is the most important thing to think about in terms of operating a computer network in a company. A guarantee of data security is the basis for everyone when choosing a company whose products or services they want to use. That’s why it’s a good idea to use professional ITH services that will give you peace of mind by fully securing your network and all your company data.