Your Browser – Cyber Security’s 1st Line of Defense

Nowadays, many people seemed to have forgotten the importance (and the inherent dangers) of their computer’s browser. They forgot that the browser, per se, works like a two-way street. It is where cyber security should police the two-way cyber traffic.

A web browser’s main job is to find and display web pages. From there, it makes possible the “communication” between your computer and the web server where a site is located.

Cyber security risks
But, your browser is also – and this is the dangerous part – the gateway of the cyber world into your computer. And, not all of the things from the Internet going inside your computer are good. Some are downright risky.

Today’s browser is sophisticated enough, through the years of innovation, to handle the multiple applications needed to surf the Internet. Many of these try to boost up and heighten the surfing experience by enabling your browser’s functionalities.

But sometimes, these functionalities are not needed and they can leave your computer vulnerable. It is therefore safe to disable them until they are needed.

In a perfect world, one should set one’s browser security to the highest level possible. But these settings may restrict the functionality of other features and prevents some web pages to load properly. The best compromise solution would be to set your browser to the highest security level (to prevent attacks) but at the same time enabling some features to work when you need them.

Today’s many browsers are mostly graphical browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, AOL, Opera, Safari for the Macintosh, and Lynx for the visually-impaired users.) These are capable of playing video and audio clips, aside from displaying texts and graphics. Most have user-friendly tabs and options in choosing your preferred security level setting.

It is important to know and be familiar with your browser and how it is different from the others.  It will come in handy when you evaluate and determine the features and setting most appropriate for your use.

For instance, to explore the basic security options in Windows’ Internet Explorer, you click Tools on the menu bar, select Internet Options, choose the Security tab, and click the Custom level. In Firefox, you click Tools first, select Options, and then click Content Privacy and Security tabs. The others have their own path systems.

Choosing your browser
Security should be paramount in choosing your browser. But, of course, given one’s particular needs in surfing and using the Internet, other considerations are just as important. Sometimes, a browser comes packaged with the operating system. It should not limit, however, your choice.

Compatibility – does your browser work with the OS (operating system) of your computer?

Ease – are you comfortable and familiar with the options, menus, system of your browser?

Function –will it still work if other plug-ins or other devices are installed?

Appeal – do you like how your browser looks and works?

Functionalities - Your browser should be able to give you the option of putting web sites into different segments, or zones, and define different security restrictions for each. The best protection should be to set the security to the highest level, or maintain it at a medium level.

If you know of some sites which can be classified as trusted, you can set your browser setting accordingly. You may require them to implement SSL or Secure Sockets Layer so you can verify if they are what they claim to be.  Note, however, that it is good to avoid lowering your security levels with them. If they are attacked, you might be included.

You may restrict particular sites you are not sure of. Prevention is always the best cure for any disease, real-life or online.

Be careful about your Java and ActiveX controls. These scripts, used to achieve certain appearances or functionality, can be used in attacking your computer. This is also true about Plug-ins, those additional software that enhances the function of some programs. Make sure that the sites that installing them are trustworthy.

For safety, it is advisable to disable Cookies and enable them only if the site you trust requires them.

Cyber Security starts first in your browser. It is best that you start the safeguarding process from there, your computer’s door to the wide, wild world of cyber space.

What is Cyber Security All About?

In this age of technology and communication convergence, you cannot help but be involved in technologies and innovations that revolve around computers, cellular phones and the World Wide Web. But as we go around our daily lives with these technologies and what not, there are times that we begin to feel really paranoid on our own safety.

May it be our physical safety or the security of our personal hardware and software. What is cyber security all about? It is in fact protecting your personal information or any kind of digital asset stored in your computer or in any digital storage device.

The first thing that you will have to understand is the kinds of threats that you could encounter in cyber space. There are different kinds of threats and each one has their own degrees of seriousness which require their own levels of solutions. The higher level the threat, the more advance or complicated the approach to implement safety measures to protect yourself from such harm.

From simple malicious codes, otherwise called as malware and spywares to serious virus that can erase the whole contents of your computer and hackers that can access and use your personal information for their own personal gain, these are the risks that you will need to address.

Oftentimes, those malicious codes or malware pass through your security system when you access a particular website or even when you open an email. These codes, exploit the loopholes in various applications and insert themselves within the computer system which enable them to replicate and infect other computers by attaching themselves to the emails that you send out or through your local network. These malicious codes are sometimes quite tricky. They claim to do something but instead they will go on a totally different path in infecting your system. These malicious codes are not isolated to malware and spyware but also refer to virus and worms which are deadlier and cause more harm.

Even though those malicious codes are quite harmful, another dangerous intruder would be hackers or attackers. No matter how you look at it, virus and worms can only do what the original programmer has intended it to do. But hackers are people and they can get the information they want and use it for their own benefit. Sometimes hackers are just testing their skills and deliberately invade your system not because they want your info for personal gain but because they are just plain curious or are just doing some mischief.

It is these kinds of things that you need to avoid that is why you have to know about cyber security and know how to handle the various threats. You will need to know how vulnerable your computers are. You have to loon into your firewall and virus protection software to se if your current setup can prevent attacks from the outside.

This is why it is important to continuously update your software since new threats are being created everyday and having an updated system can help protect you from being attacked. Another precautionary measure would be to create passwords. The passwords will serve as a deterrent and help you keep your whole system protected.

With proper protection installed, you can keep your files and information safe. It is very important that you keep in mind cyber security. Cyber security is all about keeping your information safe from those who wish to access them. It is an important aspect of our lives and should never be disregarded most especially in today’s computer age.

Simple Boosts To Cyber Security

Cyber security is among the toughest issues to resolve.  It has proven to be difficult since it is constantly evolving and most of our daily activities can be hit by it.  How much do we rely on computers nowadays? A lot. Whether it is transportation, entertainment, communication, finance, and even daily needs.  Everything seems to be computerized.  What do you think would happen if these systems would crash?  Catastrophe would ensue.

There are simple things that we could do to ensure the safety of our systems and computers.  For your accounts and computer:

• Make sure that the passwords you are using cannot be immediately guessed.  Another common mistake made is that they would be jotting their passwords.  Surveys said that about 1 out of 3 workers would write their passwords.  Inside attack is one of cyber security attacks, this could mean that a disgruntled employee could use other people’s passwords to access the system.

There are companies, especially outsourcing companies, that strongly prohibit any kind of written password, like mentioned in the example.

• Aside from the password, there are also operating systems and applications that could protect your account and computer.  Firewall for starters, should be installed and used.  A firewall is a program that blocks unauthorized Internet traffic, just like how a physical firewall works. Setting up and configuring a firewall, will actually help you maximize its full potential.

Anti-virus software can be your best shot to make sure that your computer is protected, you just have to make sure that it is regularly updated.  Anti-virus software would come with spyware detecting programs.  There are new computers, nowadays, that are offering or already have an installed anti-virus software.

• If you have sensitive documents in your account and computer, it would be better if you would be encrypting the data.  When deleting sensitive documents, then you make sure that it has been totally removed from the system.  Hackers are capable of restoring or retrieving any deleted documents especially if it is not totally removed from the documents.

Electronic mails are also vulnerable to cyber security attacks. Different styles and types of e-mail scams are being developed everyday, so everybody has to be prepared and alert whenever we receive emails.  Here are some signs that these e-mails are possible sources of cyber security attacks.

• The email is not addressed to you personally and aside from that the sender of the email is somebody you are not even familiar with.  Most of phishing e-mails would have an attachments along with the email.  These attachments do not even have a clear title or clear purpose.

• As your read the email, you will notice a lot of spelling and grammatical errors which indicates how unprofessional it is.

• Emails that ask you to provide financial information like credit card number, social security number, password and asking you to send some money, is totally a scam.  Banks and other institutions do not ask you these kinds of information over an email.

When you received this kind of email, do not click on any links or attachments.  These links and attachments would bring you to sites that have high risks of viruses and spyware. For example, experts would say that attachments ending in ".vbs," ".scr," ".exe," or ".pif" can have viruses.   It is best to immediately delete the email, do not even open or respond to the email.

Another assurance that even if your computer and cyber security has been attacked is by regularly saving your data and making a back-up disk.  So, if ever your computer crashes because or loses some information because of viruses, you would be prepared for it since you have a back-up.

Further Equipping Cybersecurity Professionals

Cybersecurity is becoming a more important issue and aspect of information technology these days. The virtual world is getting bigger and bigger. Everyday, there are hundreds to thousands of new Websites that are made, complementing about millions of new Internet users across the globe. Different types of cyber crimes and security issues also abound.

There is a growing call for cybersecurity education to be further revamped. Many professionals, Internet users, legislators, and IT experts are calling for diversity in cybersecurity education and training. Professionals in the field should be trained and educated not only in the specific technology but also in other related subjects like business strategies, ethics, human relations, and law. To some proponents of this initiative, cybersecurity professionals should function more like renaissance men and women who are geared to meeting modern day challenges.

There is a growing call for developing a new and more skilled breed of multidisciplinary experts in the online security. Many education and IT experts are also asking diversity into psychology and organizational behavior. There is a need to understand that online security practitioners are practically trained instead of educated. Current trainings for cybersecurity professionals include use of certain applications, techniques, and tools.

There is no specific course that helps professionals gain better and useful understanding of behaviors and principles that make up Internet security. Thus, diversification of training to transform as formal education is endorsed by many.

It is also highlighted that currently, there are only a few universities and institutions that offer cybersecurity programs for would-be Internet professionals. Aside from making cybersecurity a formal education, many people are also calling for the subject to be a full-length profession. This underlines the importance and necessity of online security.

Some IT experts are already envisioning a professional degree in cybersecurity that covers specific technical subjects like distributed systems, computer security principles, networking, software engineering, systems reliability, cryptography, and use of human factors and interfaces. Of course, mentioned specific multi-disciplinary subjects are also proposed to be included.

There are also calls to make trainings and education for cybersecurity a multidisciplinary undergraduate program in college. This is to institute and enhance professionals’ system trustworthiness, which should be the foundation of IT professionals majoring in Internet security. Proponents like cybersecurity courses to be analogous to pre-med and pre-law courses in tertiary education. Several courses should be offered from different academic departments.

The goal of broadening cybersecurity education is to facilitate usage of every conceivable policy and technical tools for achievement of trustworthiness. Doing so is also believed to ensure that IT solutions would be eventually evaluated in broader societal contexts. This is for the purpose of contemplating trade-offs and risk management between varied social values like privacy versus accountability.

Of course, it is just obvious that Internet security has become a really important issue these days. As almost all businesses move only and basic business transactions get completed and coursed through the Internet, ensuring overall security is very important. Cybersecurity should be addressed more. Professionals of course need to be further equipped with necessary education way beyond training for technical skills. The Internet is fast and is constantly expanding. So do online security problems and issues.

It is better to improve current systems and further equip professionals than to be sorry in the future.

Cyber Security Training: Tips And Guides

Despite the economic turmoil, reports said that cyber security professionals take home relatively high pay. It appears that companies see the benefit of investing in information and data security. While this can’t drive business expansion, it can at the very least protect their businesses from further downhill glide and help them get by until the economy rises back to life.

This only proves that a cyber security career is not only lucrative but also timely. But you don’t become a certified cyber security professional that easy; knowledge of computer and technology is not enough. You have to undergo cyber security training.

But how do you start? What’s the first step? Start by looking for potential training school. Fortunately, many schools join the hype in cyber security and offer certificate and degree programs. Gather as much information as you can, then start comparing. As much as possible, avoid enrolling in online schools. Potential companies need to see evidence of your actual training, and online training can hardly give them that. Learning from books is good as well, but again, you need to build your expertise under the mentorship of physical teachers who can guide you through the ropes of security jobs in an interactive setting.

Of course, you will find that some schools are more expensive than the others. Take note, however, that costs are highly based on the mentors’ expertise, laboratories, and facilities. If you find a school rather expensive, check if the teachers are experienced practitioners and do not merely echo what is written in the book. Remember, this is a skill training, and impartation of skills is necessary here.

Make sure as well that the laboratories and classrooms are well equipped, the machines and equipment modern, and the training location highly conducive to learning. Higher price translates to better service; this is the general rule.

After considering everything, here comes the hard part—actual learning. The best schools, teachers, and equipment are all secondary; the most important thing is your eagerness and dedication to learn. Make extra effort to supplement your training with research and consistent practices. If you need to setup a network at home to further study and employ what you’ve learn from your training, do so.

You sure will encounter errors and problems along the way, but these encounters are often good opportunities for learning. Research as much as you can. Get good books. The idea here is to learn more by immersing yourself in real-life scenarios.

You can also do volunteer work for small-scale businesses or non-profit organizations. There is a two-fold benefit to doing this. First, you can gain experience in a more professional setting. Second, these organizations are credible references in your future job application.

After passing your training, get active in looking for potential employment. But don’t get frustrated if you don’t immediately get into your dream company. Sometimes companies bank on years of experience, so to take this as an opportunity to gather more working experience. Start by offering your services to companies within your area.

Do not stop learning. Cyber security training is just the start. After this, you are on your own to feed your mind and hone your skill. Attend conferences if the opportunity arises. Consistently meet with other security professionals.

This way, not only will you be learning, you can also meet a lot of people who will either be willing to work with you or offer you employment opportunities.

Cyber Security Threats

Cyber security is about protecting your computer from any threat that may use you data and information without authority, protect you machine from different threats like viruses, worms, spyware, and malware.  When these threats are blended together, they can overload and shut down systems and resources.

Everybody seems to rely on computer nowadays,  bill payments can be done online, communication, transportation, entertainment and other aspects of our lives depend or influenced by computers.  This is why computer or cyber security threats are important to be dealt immediately.

There are different kinds of cyber security threats, for example, our browsers are not that safe anymore.  Browsers have vulnerabilities where expert hackers can exploit codes and passwords.  Hackers would use even our trusted websites to make these attacks.  This is why software manufacturers are investing on security to setup tools that would protect users even on trusted sites.

Another alarming security threat is that there are an increased number of incidents where national records are extracted.  Economic data of a nation or state can fall victims to cyber theft. National and state governments are not the only victims,  in the United Kingdom cyber theft is recognized to be among the biggest crime in the country.  Cyber theft could include credit card fraud, illegal bank transfers and phishing attacks.

Phising attacks are fraudulent processes where sensitive personal and financial information are asked from an individual.  People would fall victims to phishing scams since they pose as legal and trustworthy institutions, they are normally send out through emails and instant messaging.

Computers are not the only targets of cyber threats, mobile phones are also being attacked by worms, viruses, and malware.  Mobile phones are very susceptible to hackers and also viruses.  Old cellphones  can be immune to viruses, but new cellphones, the smart ones, because of their standardized operating system are now in risk of viruses.

Multimedia messaging services or MMS can send multiple copies of the phone address book or copy the phone book into a new handset just within a couple of minutes.  Aside from that it could also infect other phones within the area and disrupt communication protocols.

Cyber-terrorism is also another increasing cyber security threat experienced by users.  Some experts would say that cyber terrorism is just the same as hacking.  But experts would agree that it is intended to create or start fear, physical harm or death by using electronic methods.

An example would be the case in Romania, where terrorists were able to control the life support systems in an Antartic research station, putting 58 scientists in danger.  This kind of attack can affect a great deal of people, weaken the economy and even make the country vulnerable to military attacks.

Another common cyber security problem would be the attacks of people themselves, like disgruntled employees.  In a survey conducted by the Nucleus Research and KnowledgeStorm, 1 out 3 workers would jot down their passwords.  This is not the best security practice since jotted down passwords can be lost and used by unsatisfied workers.

There are increasing number of cyber security threats that needs to be addressed immediately.  Long-term plans and solutions should be created to address the increasing number of victims.  While we wait for government and organizations to come up with long-term solutions, it is our individual responsibility to make sure that we keep our personal and work-related information safe.

Online Security for Your Kids

Photo Courtesy : vritesh.com

If you think your kids now just need to be protected from strangers offering them candy or from cars while crossing the streets, then you have another thing coming. Your children need a whole new level of protection especially in this age of computers and the internet. More and more kids are having easier access to the internet. According to some studies, more than 80% of teenagers in the US have access to the internet at home. The parents should take an active role in teaching their children proper cyber security measures.

Most of the time these kids who access the net are not careful enough when giving out personal information online. They don’t realize yet the risks of not having confidential and personal information protected online. From virus, to hackers, to identity thieves, these people are lurking in cyberspace waiting for that opportunity. I can only stress the importance of cyber security for kids.

Now there are several ways where you can help instill to your children the proper ways of accessing, behaving and protecting themselves online. One of the more common venue where your children go on the web is the social network sites where they have online profiles, photos and keep blogs or online journals. Remind your kids that not to accept all those you invite them to be their online friend especially if they don’t know that person.

The problem with these social network sites is that once you add someone as a friend, you can be viewed by friends included in his own network which most of time you don’t even know. These are venues where scrupulous individuals can gain access to your personals.

To monitor their browsing activities or encourage them to ask questions, place your computer in an area of the house where there’s heavy foot traffic. This will make it easy for them to call your attention to their monitor if they want to ask questions or show you something. This also discourages them from visiting lewd and pornographic websites.

These websites are not only inappropriate but are also a repository of malware, spyware and virus applications that can destroy files and even your whole computer system. In this regard, it would be best to use controlling mechanisms like content blockers which prohibits them to access certain websites and also monitoring application so you can take a look later what they actually look for in the net.

It is always good to engage your children in a healthy conversation about the things that did or things they can do online. This way you can teach them proper ways or help develop good habits that will ensure their safety online. You can also teach them the pros and cons of social networking, online file sharing, and even the issues of software piracy and illegal downloads. These are part of increasing their knowledge and understanding about the technology of computers and the net as well as cyber security.

You should always remember that children’s predisposition of being still curious, innocent, and sometimes their desire to be independent can cause them to be careless. That is why ordinary safeguards are not enough when it comes to protection your kids on cyberspace. The previously mentioned cyber security measures for kids are not just an introduction.

You will have to know for a fact your kids computer habits and then learn how you can better protect them.

Online Security and Identity Theft

Photo Courtesy : thenextweb.com

Today’s biggest cyber security concern is Identity Theft. Cyber thieves use all kinds of methods (hacking, use of spyware for intercepting information, etc.) in stealing personal or financial information from their victims, mostly from the computers.

The latest of these nefarious activities even sports a name: phishing (pronounced like ‘‘fishing”). The thief sends a simple e-mail that looks like it came from a genuine site (mostly from financial institutions as Citibank, eBay, PayPal, Best Buy and others), telling you there is a problem with your account.

They would then ask you to click on a certain link in the e-mail, and you are taken to a site that looks exactly like that of your bank.  Here, they will ask you to fill out again your Social Security or credit card numbers, and/or other confidential numbers.

The following are some ways to minimize the risk of your identity being stolen:

Do business with reputable companies
Some attackers may try to trick you by creating web sites that appear to be legitimate.
Don’t visit any site that is using third party links. Open a new browser and type the address yourself if you want to visit a site.

You can also check privacy policies to see how the company in question use and distribute information. Many companies allow customers to request that their information not be shared with other companies.

Maintain a security mindset – always be skeptical of unfamiliar sites and links, suspicious e-mails and IM messages.

Anti-virus software and firewall
As standard practice, use and maintenance of an anti-virus software and firewall will protect your computer from attacks that may steal or modify data in your computer.
Make sure to keep your anti-virus program and firewall up to date.

Fighting identity robbery
As precautionary steps, regularly check your credit reports for strange transactions or transactions you don’t recall, unusual charges on your bills, bills for products and services you don’t have, or worse, unexpected denial of your credit card.

Once the identity robbery has been confirmed, calls to appropriate companies and agencies have to be done immediately. Have your credit card accounts closed right away so future charges will be denied.

Contact the Social Security Administration if your SSS card number has been accessed or the DMV if your driver’s license or car registration papers were stolen. This is to warn these agencies for possible unauthorized use of your personal ID information. Of course, you need to file a criminal report with the local police.

For U.S. citizens, you need to contact the main credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to see if there had been any unexpected or unauthorized activity.  Have fraud alerts placed on your credit reports to prevent new accounts from being opened without verification. File a complaint with the FTC and IFCC.

A website, IdentityTheftActionPlan.com, had been created to help citizens prevent, detect, and respond to identity theft and fraud. Within the site is information on how identity theft occurs, the latest prevention tips, what to do in case you are victimized and pertinent information of law enforcement agencies that investigate these crimes. Two other sites to learn more about phishing and ID theft are the following: consumer.gov/idtheft/ and
idtheftcenter.org

Vigilance, information and action
Cyber security dictates that every cyber citizen (those using computers and the Internet in most of their activities) needs to be vigilant at all times.

Everyone is enjoined to keep up with the latest information, so that they can do the appropriate action by themselves.