Simple steps for safer surfing
Maintaining security while you're using your computer isn't a full time job, but it does require full-time vigilance. If you're acting in a way that isn't secure, changing that behaviour can be difficult - especially if you're not aware of it in the first place! To help you improve your computer security, we've compiled this list of things - some you might be aware of, some of which you probably won't be - to help keep your time on the PC and internet as secure as possible.
1 NEVER Write Down a Password
This is rule number one because it is, indeed, rule number one. It's not surprising that some people keep a written log of them but, for reasons that should be obvious, this is a very bad idea. It gives thieves, hackers and snoops a simple way to get access to all of your personal information in one simple step. They just have to open a file on your desktop or snap a picture of your notepad.
Admittedly, to get to that point someone will have already had to breach one level of security by accessing your computer or personal space (either physically or on the internet). That doesn't mean you want to make it easy, though.
Making passwords easier to remember is the way to go (there's a guide elsewhere in this issue about how to do that), but if you're absolutely incapable of committing passwords to memory, encode them if you must write them down. That way, no one but you will understand them.
A simple encoding method shifts the first digit forward one, the second digit back two, the third digit forward three and so on. So, if your password was 'pass23' you would write the 'p' as 'q' (+1), the 'a' becomes 'y' (-2 and wrapping to the end of the alphabet), the first 's' becomes V (+3) and the second 'o' (-4). The '2'+5=7, and the '3' becomes a '7' if you count back six (2, 1, 0, 9, 8, 7). Thus, the encoded password would be 'qywo77'. You can reverse the process to recover your own password, but if anyone steals it they won't realise what you've done, and the password will be useless.
2 Protect Saved Passwords
Like writing down passwords, saving them in your browser is a way of making life that little bit more convenient. Unfortunately, it comes at a huge cost to your security. If your phone, tablet, laptop or even desktop gets stolen, saved passwords will allow the thief into any number of private accounts from which they could cause a huge amount of damage.
Obviously, the best course of action is to input them every time you want to access a site, but we can understand how that would be both time-consuming and annoying. Indeed, you could argue that it creates a security risk, since a keylogger or shoulder-surfer would be more likely to catch you typing the password in.
If you do choose to save your passwords, it's important that you set a master password so they remain protected even if your device is stolen or otherwise accessed without authorisation. On phones and tablets, this means a password on the lock screen. On desktops, it means going into your browser and enabling the master password setting, which forces you to input the master password before your saved ones become available to use. A minor inconvenience, but one which will improve your security a lot.
3 Keep Your Software Up-To-Date
It doesn't hurt to repeat this: the most important thing you can do regarding security of your system itself is to keep automatic updates enabled, be it on Android, iOS or Windows. Security loopholes are being found all the time, and as soon as they're common knowledge you can bet that someone out there is finding a way to exploit them. Installing the latest updates, then, means the holes are patched either before or quickly after they're discovered, which significantly improves your overall security.
Allthough it's marginally less of a problem, the same is true of applications. While big releases add new features or improve performance, the majority of software updates fix bugs and patch security holes. You might think that there's no way a problem with your photo-editing application can result in your passwords being stolen, but it can happen if, for example, an error in the program allows unsecure access to the clipboard or the contents of RAM outside of the software's boundaries. Stay up to date and you shouldn't have to worry.
4 Disable The Mic/Cover The Webcam
It might sound paranoid, but it isn't. If you've been following the news you'll know that Samsung’s smart TVs were recently found to be broadcasting any speech they picked up to a third party. The official reason given for this is that Samsung uses another company's technology to handle voice recognition tasks, but it does beg questions about what might have happened if someone had found a way to intercept the data, and what they may have been able to hear
Microphones and webcams don't necessarily watch you by default, but it's relatively trivial (in hacking terms) for someone to install software on your PC that gives them access to them. There are numerous cases of hacked webcams being used to spy on, and even blackmail, people. Who knows what sensitive data you might read out without realising your microphone is relaying it to a malicious entity, be that a hacker or trolls?
Whether you simply unplug this hardware, put a sticking plaster over the unused camera lens or disable the devices in your hardware settings, this is just one way to maintain your personal privacy in the face of a system that could be monitoring more than you realise.
5 Lock Unattended Devices
A good practice to get into is to lock devices when you're not sitting at them. This mostly applies in communal situations (using your computer at work, at school/university or in an internet cafe, perhaps), but it does also mean making sure your computer can't be accessed by anyone who may have broken into your house while you're not around or wandered into your room during a party.
Locking a device is important for two reasons: it protects your files, and it protects your online behaviour. If you step away from a device and someone else uses it, the authorities and/or owners only have your word that you weren't the one at the PC, should it be used for anything illegal. Even if it's your own system, an unauthorised user might take the opportunity to install malware so they can access your system remotely later on. You don't have to be a spy to have a computer worth protecting, and when it's so easy to do (just press Windows Key + L, for example), it's worth getting into the habit.
6 Keep Backups
A good security plan isn't just about having the mechanisms in place to prevent unauthorised access. It also means having the mechanisms in place to recover from an attack. Malware might infect your programs, ransomware might permanently block access to your files, and in the worst case scenario, malicious users might wipe the contents of your system. Solid backups won't stop any of that from happening, but they'll make the recovery process much easier.
Typically, it's recommended that users make regular backups because it helps them recover from catastrophic data loss, but if you get into the habit it'll also mean you have the ability to recover from an attack on your system in just a few clicks. Lost data can be easily restored, and you'll feel able to wipe your system to get rid of malicious software safe in the knowledge that the important stuff won't be lost at the same time. If your PC or tablet is stolen, you can even use your backups as a guide for checking what accounts might need protecting.
Keeping backups is never a particularly glamourous thing to do, but as far as protecting yourself goes, it's essential. Just remember to keep them on a hard drive or USB key that's out of sight of your main system. The last thing you want is your backup going AWOL too!
7 Use Your Anti-virus Software
It goes without saying that it's good security practice to have an anti-virus program installed, but how often do you actually use it? Realtime protection is good for stopping the worst instances of viral infections, but what about the other features of your software? Scanning your backups allows you to ensure that their integrity is maintained, and a firewall will block unwanted traffic while you're connected to the internet. Keeping your protection up to date will ensure the latest viruses can't slip through the net, and regular scans will make sure that you haven't accidentally introduced a virus into your system.
Basically, it's not enough to have an antivirus program installed: you also have to make sure you actually use it. Check your downloads manually, allow it to filter or probe web pages and emails that look suspicious. Trust in its judgement. Most of the time it knows better than you do what's a threat, so let it do the hard work.
8 Use A Secure Browser
Internet Explorer has improved its security massively in the last few years, but it's still the slowest entry in a three-horse race. Unless you have accessibility needs or software requirements that can't be met by browsers other than Internet Explorer, you should consider switching to Firefox or Chrome, both of which are vastly superior to Microsoft's flagship - and typically faster and more standards-compliant too!
As for which of the alternatives is best, that's harder to pin down. Chrome is generally regarded as the most secure, due to its high volume of security updates - they come nearly twice as often as most browsers. Firefox is a close second and considerably more secure than Internet Explorer, which receives lots of updates but has low security overall.
Whichever you choose, you can always improve security using plug-ins and tools like Disconnect, Blur, DNSCrypt, and uBIock, which help anonymise your traffic and prevent interception and tracking by third parties.
9 Don't Trust Public Wi-fi
Free wi-fi is great in theory, but in practice you have to be careful that you're actually connecting to the right network. It's a trivial matter for anyone to set up a wi-fi hotspot that anyone can access, and just as trivial to use software that can intercept the traffic, which can lead directly to identity theft, credit card fraud and account hijacking.
This doesn't mean you have to avoid public wi-fi completely, but it does mean taking steps to protect yourself when you do use it. If you're using it in a business or other public establishment, always check with an employee that they have wi-fi and get them to tell you what the network name is. Look for login information. Even free and open hotspots usually ask you to input your details before you use them. A hotspot deigned to trap users might not, so if you find yourself able to log in without anyone trying to keep track of you, it's worth being suspicious.
When you are using a hotspot, don't make payments or input your address or personal details, and don't talk about sensitive or secure matters. At the very least, if you have to do these things then considering using a VPN tunnel to encrypt your traffic and make sure it's hidden from the prying eyes of whoever's running the hotspot.
Ultimately, if you're unsure, don't use the network at all. It's a good idea to find out how (and indeed whether) you can run your own hotspot using your mobile phone. It won't be as fast as public wi-fi, but it will be far more secure.
10 Don't Think You're Immune
Perhaps the most important piece of advice is that no one is immune to attack, no matter how secure you think you are. Even if you're the most cautious computer user you know, there's always going to be a loophole or an exploit out there that you simply can't account for.
Keeping your data and passwords in order will go a long way towards ensuring that if your accounts do get hacked or your hardware does get stolen, you know exactly how to go about protecting yourself before any serious damage occurs. Security breaches are, ultimately, a fact of modern day life, but they only become a real problem if you let yourself think it'll never happen to you, because then you won't be prepared when it does.