- The Internet has become a fundamental part of our lives: work, entertainment, information, education are already an essential part of this network and that is why it is essential to maximize security measures
- Cyberattacks continue to increase exponentially: in India, an organization in India is being attacked on average 1742 times per week in the last 6 months, compared to 1167 attacks per organization globally according to Check Point Software’s Threat Intelligence Report
Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider specializing in cybersecurity worldwide, commemorates the day dedicated to the Internet by protecting Internet users, who currently account for 62.5% of the world’s population, according to a study by We Are Social and Hootsuite. According to Statistica, India has over 900 million internet users, and was the second largest online market in the world, behind China. However, despite their huge penetration rates and a consistent increase in accessibility, internet penetration in the country was just under 50 percent, below the worldwide average. This means there is excessive room for India to grow these numbers in the future.
While this data is encouraging, as it gives more people access to knowledge, entertainment and new ways of working, it also has a downside, because with more people connected to the Internet, the larger the attack surface for cybercriminals. We are at a time when the dangers on the Internet keep increasing; according to our data, the second quarter of 2022 left 27% more cyber-attacks than the same period of the previous year. Problems such as phishing, ransomware, DDoS attacks and data breaches are the order of the day.
To this end, Check Point Software shares the 10 essential tips that every Internet user should know for safe Internet browsing on this International Internet Day on 29th October:
- Do not rely on browsers alone to protect you from malicious websites: browsers alone do not protect you from all the cyber dangers on the Internet. That’s why you should be careful and tread carefully when surfing the Internet. The danger can be found on a streaming platform where you are watching a series or on an e-commerce site… Cybercriminals often create websites similar to those known to users in order to steal their access credentials, credit card details or social network contacts. To avoid this, it is essential to check that the URL of the web page is legitimate.
- Do not reuse passwords: this is simple but effective advice. Having the same passwords in all applications and websites is one of the most basic and dangerous mistakes, it is enough for a cybercriminal to crack or steal one of them to be able to access all the others and get access to all the personal data of the different sites. The ideal is usually to combine eight characters combining uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols, to make it more difficult. It is true that they can be complicated to remember and to save that probelma you can use a password manager.
- Keep browser software up to date: people may believe that it is not necessary to keep updates up to date, or that they even slow down devices, but the reality is that not installing them is a very dangerous practice. To keep a computer safe, it is very important to keep the software up to date, as they correct security flaws that could lead to cyber-attacks.
- Disabling the autocomplete form or the password reminder function: yit may seem that this option is convenient and facilitates day-to-day activities, but there are few actions that pose a greater risk. When a user stores all his data in a browser, he is making life easier for cybercriminals, because if someone manages to breach a device, he will automatically fill in the passwords of all the apps for them. The safer option to ensure greater security is to always enter your username and password every time you want to access an application or web page, no matter how tiring or inconvenient this may seem.
- Running an antivirus software and scanning files before downloading them: this protection is essential because, despite taking all the appropriate measures, a malicious file can always slip through due to human error. Therefore, it is vital to have an antivirus installed that scans, downloads and rejects them in case they could be fraudulent.
- Use HTTPS: web pages that begin with these letters have an SSL Certificate and comply with security standards. It keeps the connection to the Internet secure and protects the information sent between two systems. They also usually include a green padlock at the beginning of the link.
- Regularly review bank statements: it is becoming increasingly common for a person or their bank to be the victim of a cyber-attack. If this happens, it is likely that the attackers have obtained a user’s passwords or data. Once obtained they can either access an account and make purchases with it or sell the credentials over the Darknet. Hence, it is very important to regularly check the charges made to a bank card to make sure that everything is in order.
- Avoid public or free Wi-Fi networks: these types of networks do not have any type of protection and anyone can connect to them, even a cybercriminal. By being present on a Wi-Fi without any kind of security, an attacker can access everything stored on it, so think twice before connecting to one of them.
- Read privacy policies: it is true that it can be tedious and heavy, but all the content related to the fact of what companies will do with our data is written in their policies or contracts and it is a big mistake not to be informed; from where they will be stored, to what use they will have and if they are commercial or not and for what purpose they collect them.
- Activate the pop-up blocker: there are many websites and applications that bombard you with advertisements when you access them. The vast majority of them are cyber scams, and with the simple installation of a blocker they will no longer appear on the device, thus avoiding a large number of dangers.
“There are more and more Internet users, more connected devices and, therefore, more surfaces and targets for cybercriminals to attack, which is why it is vital to share these protection tips so that everyone can utilize or implement these tips to ensure a safer experience with the internet,” says Sundar Balasubramaniam, Managing Director of Check Point Software Technologies, India & SAARC. “With good cyber hygiene habits and knowing the basic security measures for surfing the Internet, we can enjoy surfing the Internet with greater peace of mind.”