Large organizations pay close attention to information security. They allocate a separate budget, form special units, and use expensive technology. Private users cannot afford such measures, but it is necessary to protect themselves from what. What should be done? First, get an idea of what information security is.
Basics
The three pillars of information security: confidentiality, integrity, security. Confidentiality – hiding data from outsiders. They can only be accessed by the owner himself or with his permission. Integrity – protection against changes without the owner’s knowledge. Preservation – preventing the destruction of information by an intruder or user through negligence.
To counteract cyberattacks, there are simple and effective precautions. These are actions performed personally by the owner and the use of special tools.
User actions
Computer hacking, theft or corruption of information often occurs through the owner’s negligence. It’s safe to follow the rules:
- Access control. Account password must contain numbers and symbols in different registers, ideally generated by the system. Additional authentication using biometrics, one-time passwords sent with a phone call, SMS or by mail. Common mistake – one password for multiple accounts.
- Be cautious about posting personal information on public resources: social networks, forums, blogs. Full name and another characteristic address, phone number, place or date of birth are personal information that uniquely identify the user and require protection.
- It is not recommended to follow links in e-mail messages from unknown addresses. Download and install software from suspicious sites. Store personal information and bank card details in your browser or on third-party resources.
- To prevent the loss or destruction of information would not hurt to use cloud storage, creating archival copies on portable media.
Compliance with the conditions of use of computing equipment indirectly affects safety. Failure to comply will result in a computer, laptop, or smartphone failing at the most inopportune moment, with loss of information.
Protection Tools
Special programs can help you work safely. They are inexpensive, and free versions are available:
- An antivirus suite is required for installation. Malicious intrusions infect your computer unnoticed by its owner. Antivirus will trace and destroy the threat.
- Many passwords are required, and complex combinations are difficult to remember. Administrator programs for storing and managing accounts can help.
- Applying and properly configuring a firewall will block connections to unwanted network resources.
- Proxy server – gateway between the user and the network. Allows you to hide or change personal information, encrypt traffic, exclude address spoofing of the target resource.
When software is in use, vulnerabilities that were not considered by the developers when they were created are discovered. Regular updates will increase the level of protection of the system and user programs.
An unexpected power outage leads to an emergency shutdown, and the system may crash and malfunction. The uninterruptible power supply will save the current changes and shut down the computer normally.
Result
It is important to understand that there is no complete protection against cyber-attacks when going online. There is a shell-armor effect at work. Time passes between creating an active action and counteracting it. There are other vulnerabilities as well. A full guarantee is possible only when working offline.
Implementing the recommendations will not completely eliminate, but will significantly reduce the probability of data leakage or loss. The cost of overcoming the measures taken will increase and make the hacking action economically unprofitable.
Andrei Grebenshchikov