We are in the digital era where day-to-day activities are linked with the internet. Various activities like communicating over email or via social media, setting reminders, watching movies or other activities on the internet have become an essential part of our daily routine. So when data and personal information are shared through the internet it becomes important to secure them.
The internet is considered as a private and secure channel for exchanging information, but as the demand of technology is increasing the chances of data hacking or intrusion by hackers are at peak. Here comes the term Internet security which is a type of security that protects data, secure transactions and activities that are conducted over the internet. Internet security should be a priority for organizations and individuals as it aids to protect our data.
These strategies used by the system of Internet security help to safeguard users from potential threats which may infect the computer system through spam email addresses, malicious websites, or software through the internet. These kinds of threats can infect and also damage systems.
There are also a lot of emerging cases of cybercrime where hackers steal personal data, transaction details, bank account information, and other sensitive information. Internet security is a platform that helps in fighting against these cybercrimes and can be used to protect digital assets.
Potential or most common threats are as follows:
Malware
This is also termed as a common name for viruses, spyware, and others. This is used by cyber attackers and is a potential threat to our computer security. This software is designed using various codes which help to break through the available data and cause severe damage. It may take the form of an unauthorized network, that can be delivered through email as a URL, which relies on the user opening the link to cause the malware to enter the computer system, causing severe damage.
DDoS or Botnet
For such a threat, cybercriminals try to gain access to a computer device or an online network through malicious activities to attack the system. After gaining access to several computers, they can control all such computer systems at the same time and carry out malicious activities on a large scale. The owners of such networks are called botnet owners and they can cause attacks on websites or networks where resources are made unavailable to the intended user of that website or network by a denial of service or distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.
Phishing
Sensitive information like passwords, bank details, credit card details can be stolen by a cybercriminal. When an attempt is made to steal such sensitive information then it is termed as a Phishing scam. This can take place through emails or any web service provider (website) where these attackers try to get passwords and other information. They try to imitate legitimate websites asking the user for details. Prevention from such Phishing scams is to always check the resource of the email or website. If asking for bank details check with your bank before giving out such information online.
Internet security tactics or strategies
The combination of a few products and technologies always makes internet security stronger to combat such cyber threats and safeguard data. It’s vital to choose several types of strategies to have a secure network.
These consists of:
Firewalls
Firewalls act as a wall or a barrier to protect devices from potential threats originating from the network. It allows or denies access to a network by identifying its source and security. It is very useful to protect sensitive information from hackers.
Secure Browser
There are different browsers on the internet but not all browsers have strong security. There are few browsers with weak or unsecured security where cybercriminals and hackers can invade our data. It is important to ensure that when browsing one should use a secure browser to decrease the risk of threats.
Antivirus or anti-malware software
This helps to keep the malware from infecting the computer network. Malware is a potential threat that corrupts your computer allowing hackers to get hold of your data. So to prevent this an antivirus software is used that helps to monitor a network for any malware. It also scans all the activity of computers over the network to eliminate any risk of threats and vulnerabilities.
Email security
Email can also be a hotspot for spreading viruses, malware, and phishing scams. Multiple security is a strategy used to reduce threats through emails. Cryptography is another method to secure emails as it helps to encrypt the email message between the sender and the receiver.
