Security awareness online
How secure aware are you when using your desktop computer online?
Desktop computers offer quite fewer security mechanisms that actually are far much less satisfactory with regard to optimum protection. Desktop computers only offer the operating system security measures such as the firewall and maybe installed antivirus software. With only the antivirus software and the firewall and not being aware of the security precautions when surfing does not help it places you still at a higher risk of being attacked online.
What could you do to improve your security posture online?
The most crucial issue is to be cognizant of your online environment, in all that you undertake. This will at least place you in a position of power and confidence, something which makes it a bit tough for online attackers and shifting their concentration to others. When visiting websites that are not familiar, take a few minutes to acclimatize, take note of the links provided, and the messages that pop up.
This is the first most important measure in enforcing security while online, some issues such as installing antivirus software, configuring your computer firewall might seem unnecessary to undertake at individual levels but are very crucial as opposed to the loss of data. It is always important to stay proactive first to examine the contents of the sites you visit before making your clicks. Take note of the messages you receive while online and the instructions that you receive some might be out to manipulate you into disseminating vital information about yourself.
What advice would you give others based in your personal experience and what you have learned?
Security is vital for all and a daily worry for us all. Everybody then needs to perform his or her part to ensure that our online sessions are always safe and secure. With my personal experience, I would advise the following regarding our online security. Social engineering and persistent attack attempts are the norms to online attacks hence all online users must educate them on social engineering.
Online users must always shun from being mule since it places you at possible risk of being manipulated, we should also enforce strict and tough passwords it is important to stick to the advice given by the sites you register in regarding password enforcement. It is also important to split emails that you consider sensitive or hire services of a cryptographist.
In cases of corporate networks never use them to carry out any online transactions that deal with finances unless you are very sure of its security mechanisms. The latest trends may even force one to virtualize in the sense that you run a virtual operating system when surfing but then destroy all its components when done along with the viruses that might come along.
Online users must also be very careful with social networks especially with the friend’s request that you accept and the kind of information you release. Many people disguise themselves with fake names just to obtain sensitive information from their victims. Some attackers also post wrong information regarding fake gifts or charitable offers just to bait victims who are not aware.
You should also update your antivirus software on a daily basis and keep yourself updated on current security threats. Also, several tools exist each with specific security solutions it is important to have such tools at hand.
Cryptography in security
Why should you apply Cryptography?
Cryptography is a crucial component in safeguarding private or corporate data from unauthorized access. Even in a situation whereby an attacker breaks into your system or seizes your messages, with cryptography they won’t be able of reading your data. Furthermore, cryptography also conceals the sensitivity of data, such that it puts in place all vital security measures for data together with confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and repudiation.
You should thus apply cryptography to authenticate if a data sender is a real sender and not just an imposter out to manipulate you. Cryptography enforces repudiation much more similar to authentication and ensures that someone did indeed send a message to initiate some action. Under normal circumstances, it could enable you to prove that a certain criminal action was performed by someone trackable.
You should also use cryptography since it provides for confidentiality since only the intended reader who has the correct algorithm for deciphering can read the messages. Cryptography shall also ensure the integrity of all your data by making sure that your messages are not manipulated by anybody.
What is the “best practice” when applying Cryptography?
Cryptography is very important particularly for organizations that transfer data to the cloud and the best way to do this is to encrypt all data and adequately manage the keys in a manner that can only be accessed by you. Personally I would recommend various precautions when applying cryptography.
First, you must be well versed with the security objectives of your company including all the internal and external regulations regarding the handling of data and mandates for compliance. In cases whereby you make use of cloud service, you ought to understand the structure of encryption. Cloud technologies come with immense complexities such that one must comprehensively think before choosing a cryptographic technique.
It is also important to enquire more regarding the encryption algorithm from the vendor. There are many international preset standards for essential encryption and despite the fact that cryptography vendors are at their own discretion on applying these standards, it could still pose a threat from previous employees, competing vendors, or people who have worked in cryptography companies before.
What recommendation do you have for non-expert users?
Despite the fact that cryptography has provided adequate solutions for business needs over the past few years, it is not the only solution in the market. Users could still try out tokenization or other solutions. In case you are new to cryptography, get an experienced person for advice, and seek the services of a vendor with experience and a good reputation regarding the provision of cryptographic solutions. It is not also just enough to integrate cryptographic solutions, there are still several other individual responsibilities that you must enforce for cryptography to work.