Connection
Internet, a place pleasant but also dangerous! You are not to the shelters behind your screen.
Indeed, the threats are many and varied. How to surf with a better security? Here's a brief overview of the dangers that await you and principles to respect to continue full use of the Internet.
Below, you will find practical advice and a simple and efficient presentation to better know the risks related to the cyberspatial surf.
You can also see the documentation about:
· the e-mails and their various threats
· the protection of minors on the Internet
Some examples of the ills plaguing the Web
- The viruses are malwares. Their goal is to destroy and operate your computer for malicious purposes.
- The spywares are spy programs. They discreetly and invisibly install themselves on your PC. Thus they can for example retrieve your number of credit card from the source, the next time that you will type it on the keyboard and then they will send it to a hacker server.
- The trojan horses are based on the same principle as the viruses. Their specificity is that they wait for the adequate instant to run the ill which programmed.
- The adwares are harmful advertising programs. They are often associated with free softwares. The adwares open advertising window (called pop-up) randomly when you surf on the Web.
- The worms are attacks that are based on a vulnerability to infect your computer. For example, a worm may be present on a simple Web page. When a vulnerable browser connect this page, the computer is immediately infected.
- The phishing is not a program, but an online attempt to rip-off. The cybercriminal uses a website copying the appearance of a known or official website. The goal is to exploit the confidence of the internaut. For example, the cybercriminal can pretend to be a bank. He then sends an e-mail to his victims by inviting them to connect the bank website (for example, in claiming a attempted fraud which is in fact not taken place) to verify your identity. However, the e-mail contains a link to a false site of the bank: an imitation. By following the instructions of the e-mail, the cybercriminal can recover your real databank thank to the false bank website.
The symptom of a sick PC
According the types of infection, it is not always obvious whether or not you are infected; all the more that some infections have rather interest not to be noted. However, if your PC is unusually slow, if you experience a large number of bugs or is the advertising windows appear suddenly and frequently, it is highly likely that you are infected.
The software protections
- The firewall filters the exchanges from your PC to outside and from outside to your PC. It intended to prevent the dangerous and/or unauthorized intrusions. All the operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OS, etc.) have their own firewall.
- The antivirus checks your incoming files and prevents their execution in case of doubt or threat. It must absolutely be equipped with a resident protection. It is the resident protection that checks in real-time files that you run on your computer. From time to time, you will need to run a scanner which checks the other files. A good antivirus deals also with trojans, spywares and other types of infection. However, be aware that an antivirus is never 100% effective. It will be able to identify malicious codes only known and referenced in its base. Each time that you accept a file on your computer even with updated antivirus, it is a potential risk that you made to your PC.
- The antiphishing integrate itself into your browser. It will check in real-time on a server if each visited website is not referenced as phishing. On the same basis as antivirus, it does not replace your vigilance because phishing sites may not yet have been identified and classified as such.
- The update of your operating system and softwares is essential. When updates are available, don't wait. Beyond make innovations, the updates can correct existing vulnerabilities. If you can, automate the update of your programs. On the other hand, make sure you have an antivirus with an updated database. Better have a free updated antivirus than a paying out-of-date antivirus.
Protect your computer in a way that does not prompt you a fortune. Indeed, free softwares for security are at your disposal.
If you opt for a free antivirus, be aware that Avast is recognized as the best for PC. Concerning the firewall, your operating system is normally equipped. Therefore, hold simply your system up-to-date. Finally for antiphishing, the browsers the most current (Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox and Safari) are fitted but the function is not always enabled. Check your browser options if it is the case.
The secured and encrypted sites
When you have to make a purchase and communicate confidential data like bank data, be sure of being on a trusted site and under the HTTPS encrypted protocol (the site URL must begin with https:// and not with http://, moreover a padlock should appear in the status bar) during the communication.
The e-mail is today one of the most important ways to swindle you on the Web. The antispams and antivirus integrated in the mailboxes cannot protect you entirely. This forces you to a greater vigilance. For example, there are malwares possessing the ability to usurp your e-mail address, search in your address book and send malicious e-mails to all your contacts by pretending to be you. Learn more…