What is Online Protection? (Internet Safety Guide) Antivirus

 In a world where hacker attacks occur roughly every 39 seconds, Internet security should be taken seriously. Otherwise, all of your personal data may be at risk.

But what is protection on the Internet? What threats are there on the Internet, and what can you do to protect yourself from them?

What is online protection?

According to a common definition, online security is about following the rules and taking actions to make sure that a user's personal data on the Internet does not fall into the hands of cybercriminals.

Online protection is about as sophisticated as preventing credit card theft but as simple as using antivirus software to protect devices from malware and viruses.

What is Internet Security?

Internet security is the process of keeping the Internet safe - basically, you need to make sure that potential vulnerabilities on the Internet do not jeopardize your personal information or the safety of the device you are using.

It is easy to confuse Internet security with Internet security, but the best way to tell the difference is to understand this: Internet security is what keeps you safe on the Internet.

Top 11 Threats to Your Internet Security

There are many security threats on the Internet, so we decided to focus on the most dangerous and common ones. If you think any online threat should be on our list, please contact us and report it.

So let's get started:

1. Malicious Programs

Malware is malicious software programmed to infect any device it comes in contact with. The total number of malware programs has increased significantly in recent years, making it one of the biggest security threats on the Internet.

The main types of malware currently in use include:

Viruses are self-replicating malware.

Adware - Sends you a large number of unwanted ads.

Spyware - reads your personal data using keyloggers.

Ransomware - encrypts personal data or blocks access to a device to obtain a ransom.

Trojans are malicious programs that are embedded (usually without the knowledge of the manufacturer/developer) in licensed applications.

Computer worms are malware that does not need to attach themselves to other files or programs. This software lives in the computer's memory and infects other devices on the same network.

Malicious software is commonly used to steal confidential information (credit card details, logins and passwords, personal data, etc.) to steal money or make a profit from the sale of data on the darknet.

Malware can also be used to steal someone's personal information, demand ransom for sensitive information, or damage the victim's hard drive and/or device.

2. Phishing

Phishing is usually cyber criminals who fraudulently try to find out your personal and financial information, or impersonate an officially registered company and threaten with legal consequences.

Cybercriminals who carry out phishing attacks can use various methods to track users on the network:

Fake emails and SMS messages

Fake websites

Fake sites (different from fake sites because they include JavaScript commands that change the address bar)

Fake links

Psychological attack

Flushing is a type of phishing that only uses Flash animation

Hidden redirects (mostly official websites that have been hacked to redirect visitors to fake websites)

3. Farming

Pharming is a technique that cybercriminals can use to trick Internet users with phishing sites. Unlike phishing, pharming does not use fake messages. Instead, cybercriminals try to directly redirect user connection requests to malicious websites.

Typically, cybercriminals use DNS cache poisoning (also known as DNS spoofing) to gain control of your browser's address bar. Even if you enter the correct email or IP address of the website you want to access, you will still be redirected to a phishing site.

4. Application Vulnerabilities

Application vulnerabilities, as a rule, are errors and defects found in the code of a specific program, which can be used by cybercriminals to access user data and steal it. These issues are usually resolved by installing an update.

A great example was the Facebook vulnerability that allowed hackers to gain access to nearly 50 million user accounts.

5. DoS and DDoS Attacks

DoS (Denial of Service) and DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks are used to overload network servers in an attempt to shut down a website or online service - for minutes, hours, or even days ... DoS attacks are carried out from one computer, while DDoS attacks are carried out from an entire network of infected computers (called a botnet or botnet).

These types of attacks can be used by experienced hackers as well as those willing to pay for DoS attacks or rent botnets.

DoS and DDoS attacks are not particularly dangerous for your online security as an individual Internet user. They are aimed rather at those who do business on the Internet or have their own website. Why? Because DoS and DDoS attacks can lead to unplanned site downtime, which will cost customers trust.

Of course, there is always the possibility that DoS and DDoS attacks can be used by cybercriminals to distract attention from the fact that they are trying to break into user data. In this case, DoS and DDoS attacks can be a problem for everyone.

6. Fraud

Fraudsters appeared long before the invention of the Internet. Now they are more active and more successful than ever, as it is much easier to deceive people and take possession of their money and personal information.

Typically, scammers use a variety of tactics to trick Internet users into gaining access to their sensitive information (for example, social security number, credit card information, bank account details, email password, etc.) to steal money or identity information. ...

Phishing is commonly used to scam the Internet, but scammers can also use other methods:

Thematic ads

Fraudulent job offers

Financial scams

Financial pyramids

Fraudulent prepayment requests

Betting scams

Creating fake social media accounts

7. Rootkits

A rootkit is a collection of programs or tools that give cybercriminals complete control over a computer or network of devices connected to the Internet. Some rootkits will even install keyboard hooks and disable anti-virus programs as soon as they enter the computer.

Hackers will not be able to install rootkits directly on a device (unless they somehow have access to it). Instead, they will rely on phishing, fake links, bogus software, and malicious websites.

It is quite obvious why rootkits are dangerous - they can be used to steal money and confidential information from both individual Internet users and large companies.

8. SQL Injection Attack

Basically, SQL (Structured Query Language) is used by servers to store website data. Thus, a SQL injection attack can compromise all user data on the site.

SQL injection attacks allow malicious code to exploit security vulnerabilities in Internet applications. These types of attacks can lead to theft, deletion of website data, and even invalidation of online store transactions.

Unfortunately, the average Internet user won't be able to do anything with such an attack. The best thing to do is to use services that use reliable and secure servers and do not ask for too much personal information.

9. Middleman Attack

A man in the middle (MITM) attack involves cybercriminals intercepting or altering communication between two parties.

A great example of this is a hacker who intercepts communication between your device and a website. A cybercriminal can intercept your connection request, modify it to suit him and send it to the site, and then intercept the response. Thus, cybercriminals can steal valuable information from you, such as login information, credit card information, or bank account information.

Malicious programs are used to attack the middleman, but some other common methods can also be used:

Spoofing domain names or DNS spoofing

Spoofing HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)

Hacking a Wi-fi network

IP spoofing or IP spoofing

SSL protocol interception

10. Sending Spam

Spam can be defined as the mass distribution of unwanted messages on the Internet. Messages can contain everything from simple ads to pornography. Messages can be sent via email, social media, blog comments, or instant messengers.

Spam is usually just annoying, but it can also harm your online security if the messages you receive are phishing attempts, contain malicious links, or malicious attachments.

11. Interception of information via Wi-fi

Interception of information over Wi-Fi usually occurs on unsecured Wi-Fi networks (usually free networks). Cybercriminals take advantage of the lack of encryption to spy on Internet connections. Criminals can see what websites you visit, what messages you send by email, or what you write in your messenger.

Interception of information over Wi-Fi can also occur on secure networks if WPA2 encryption is compromised - this is doable, although not so simple. Once most network devices are equipped with WPA3, this vulnerability will no longer be a problem, but unfortunately, it will take some time.