Internet security is a shared responsibility and affects us all as network users. So far, we’ve told you how we protect client sites and emails and shared a lot of security tips , but in this article we’ll also look at online security from the perspective of Internet users.
We start with the basic condition on which the security of your data depends.
Secure Internet Connection
When it comes to Internet security, one of the most common and standard tips is to use strong and complex passwords. But a strong password will not be useful if someone sees it and copies (intercepts) it while it is browsing the Internet to its destination (server, service). By default, the Internet connection is not secure unless some security and encryption mechanism such as SSL / TLS is applied
Public Wi-Fi Hotspots
Public Wi-Fi hotspots are almost everywhere – in restaurants, hotels, institutions. They are very convenient when we do not have mobile internet, but we want to be online to do some work (or just look for information).
There are two types of public Wi-Fi networks: open (do not require a password to connect the user) and secure (require a password). Open Wi-Fi networks that do not require a password do not apply connection encryption, and anyone can intercept your data.
Open Wi-Fi networks can be used by malicious individuals to track and intercept data. It is even possible for such individuals to create open Wi-Fi networks in order for unsuspecting users to connect to them.
If possible, don’t use password-free public Wi-Fi networks. No password means that your internet connection is not secure (not encrypted).
Here you have to make a difference if you manage to connect to a Wi-Fi network, but when you open the browser you get a login form page, it does not mean that the Internet connection itself is secure. When the Wi-Fi network has a password, its icon in the device’s network manager will have a padlock and may have explanatory text such as “Encrypted”. Open networks do not have a padlock and the explanatory text is “Open”.
Here are some tips for using open Wi-Fi networks:
Access sites only over a secure HTTPS connection. Do not enter your data on sites that are loading over an insecure HTTP connection. When you enter your data over an HTTPS connection to the site, it will be protected against interception.
Always check that the site uses SSL and is loaded over a secure HTTPS connection.
In the address bar of the browser, before the domain of the site, look for the padlock icon or check the protocol – https.
Use a VPN. VPN ( Virtual Private Network ) means a virtual private network or virtual tunnel that is created between you and the Internet. The connection is secure and the data is encrypted and protected.
VPN tunnel can be used on any device – desktop or mobile device. The main way to use a VPN is: choose a VPN service provider, install a VPN client on your device, and activate a secure connection.
Use an encrypted connection to access the services online.
If you are uploading or downloading files via FTP – change the FTP client settings to use one of the secure connection protocols – SFTP or FTPS.
If you are checking your mail, use a secure TLS connection to the mail server. Check the settings in your mail client and set the use of SSL / TLS secure connection for the incoming and outgoing mail server.
Disable the Wi-Fi (bluetooth) connection when not in use.
Mobile Internet Access
If you have mobile internet over 4G, it is better to activate a portable Wi-Fi hotspot on your mobile device and use it. Data transmitted over 4G is encrypted, and you will be able to set encryption (WPA2-PSK) for the Wi-Fi point of your mobile device.
Private Wi-Fi Access Points
If you use a Wi-Fi network at home or in the office, make sure it uses data encryption and has a strong password. Depending on the device you are using, you may receive help for the settings from your ISP.
The Security of Your Device
No matter how secure your Internet connection is, if your device is compromised, no security techniques will guarantee your security.
Here are some tips to keep your device secure:
- Use software to scan and protect against viruses, malware, spyware and other malicious scripts and programs.
- Use software to protect the device when connected to the Internet, firewall.
- Add extra protection to sensitive data on the device. If they are passwords, use Password Manager.
- If you have other sensitive data on the device, you can encrypt it. For desktop devices you can use a built-in encryption program such as BitLocker for Windows, FileVault for MacOS.
You can also install an additional security programs to create virtual encrypted containers on disk. In addition to encrypting the information you place in these containers, a password is used to access and decrypt the data. It is possible to encrypt the entire disk of the device or to create only individual encrypted folders, which you can open / decrypt only when you need the information in them. There are free and paid applications that you can use on a desktop device (Windows, Linux, Mac).
For mobile devices, data encryption is available by default. For iPhones, setting a password (passcode or Touch ID) means that the data in the device is encrypted by default. For Android devices, data encryption is also active by default at the system level , but a password must be set. Beware of phishing attacks. Some of these attacks use fraudulent emails that link to a login page imitation or call for a known / expected file to be downloaded. Apply regular updates to the operating system and all installed applications.
Strong Password
This advice is still relevant. When setting a password, try to keep it as complex as possible, containing lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
To this tip we will add that in addition to a strong password, you must use different passwords for different accounts, accounts, services and sites. It is especially important that the password for the email and the password for the social network / s are different.
The more registrations you make, the more passwords you increase. It is very easy to be tempted and use a familiar password for the new registration. But instead, you can use the Password Manager application to manage and “remember” many passwords.
These password storage applications apply data encryption. Access to and decryption of data is done by entering a password. That way, you don’t have to remember all your passwords for all your accounts, accounts, and sites. When using a password manager, you will not need to remember them, which will allow you to create them as strong, long and complex, with all sorts of characters, combinations of lowercase and uppercase letters and numbers.
Protection of Access Through a Second Identification Factor
Enabling a second factor when accessing online services, accounts, accounts, and dashboards will add another level of protection to your data. Even if your password is intercepted, the second authentication factor will stop malicious access attempts.
You can enable two-factor authentication (2FA) when accessing cPanel.
The second identification factor – a security code that is generated in the mobile application. The second factor is a secure code that you can generate on your mobile device.
Enable two-factor authentication for all sites and services that support it – Facebook, Google, especially if they are associated with advertising accounts.
If the site is WordPress, you can install security plug-ins such as:
- Google Authenticator – WordPress plugin that will add a second factor (Two-Factor Authentication) when accessing the admin panel.
- Limit Login Attempts – a plugin that will block IP addresses that failed to log in several times with incorrect access data.
Through the special tool in cPanel WordPress Manager you can activate additional protections for your WordPress site such as:
- Protection of access to the IP administration – you can allow access to the site administration only for your IP address.
- Additional password protection for the administration directory.
Important : The security of our data on the Internet can be increased by using and complying with certain security measures, but each security alone cannot guarantee 100% security. The more precautions and protections we use as Internet users and maintain the so-called. digital security in terms of security, the more protected we are.