In today’s world, where everything is connected, a single careless click can open the door to a cyber-attack that may cost you a lot.
Whether you are browsing on a phone, shopping online, or working from your laptop, a few security measures will help you stay protected from cyberattacks.
In this post, I will guide you through ways to stay protected from cyberattacks. A few steps will protect unauthorized users from invading your device, and so you can stay safe on the internet.
Top 4 Cybersecurity Techniques
1. Choose a Good Internet Service Provider
Choosing a good internet service provider (ISP) can help you stay protected from cyberattacks through several key features and services they offer. For example, reputable ISPs ensure that their provided equipment like modems and routers, receive automatic and timely firmware updates.
Many ISPs partner with leading cybersecurity companies to offer their customers free or discounted subscriptions to antivirus software, firewalls, and parental control tools. Using these services adds layers of protection to your devices.
Several internet service providers in the US are working to protect their users from cyberattacks. For example, Xfinity Internet protects users from cyber threats through built-in network-level security features, optional security software, and educational resources that promote best practices for online safety.
For more information, you can call Xfinity Servicio al cliente and their representative will guide you more about the cybersecurity measures they use to protect their customers.
2. Invest In a Firewall System
A firewall is a security system that works as a barrier between your trusted and untrusted networks. It aims to protect all the incoming and outgoing data.
The entire firewall system is built to protect your digital world and devices by blocking malicious traffic and cyber threats like hacking and malware attacks.
However, there are different types of firewalls, but the most commonly used are:
Packet Filter
A packet filtering firewall is a network security device that inspects incoming/outgoing data packets, checking their header information, such as (source/destination IP, port, protocol) against the rules to decide whether to allow or block them.
It acts like a security guard at a network gate, but only checks basic credentials, not the packet’s content. However, it is not as secure as the advanced firewalls that are on the market nowadays, which makes it easy for hackers to attack.
Connection Tracking
Firewall tracking is a tracking feature that is used to track cyberattacks. It tells from where the attack is coming from and tells the hacker’s IP addresses, ports, and state.
It is important for NAT, Network Address Translation, because it offers features more than basic packet filtering.
Layer 7
A Layer 7 firewall operates at the Application Layer 7 of the OSI model. It inspects network traffic to understand and control specific applications such as HTTP, SMTP, DNS, and their content that goes beyond the older firewall versions.
It blocks various threats like SQL injections, malware, and bot attacks by checking the IP addresses. Additionally, it also checks other content that can harm the user’s device, apart from these specific items.
3. Anti-Malware Software
It is a cybersecurity software that detects, prevents, and removes harmful software like viruses, spyware, ransomware, and adware.
It protects the user’s device by advanced techniques such as behavioral analysis, AI, and real-time monitoring to restrict known and unknown threats.
There are 3 main types of anti-malware software, and each has its own method for removing and identifying malware:
Behavior-Based Detection
Behavior-based malware detection is a security method that identifies threats by analyzing the actions and behaviors of programs, rather than just matching known malicious code.
It closely monitors for suspicious activities, like a file trying to encrypt other files, or making unusual system calls, to catch new malware and fileless threats those traditional methods miss.
It often uses AI, machine learning, and sandboxing for analysis.
Sandboxing
Sandboxing is a cybersecurity practice that includes running programs, code, and applications in an isolated environment known as a “sandbox“.
This prevents the untrusted code from accessing or making permanent changes to the host system, such as the network or data.
Sandboxing relies on an emulation technology to create a contained environment. It mimics a real system, often without the untrusted code that can detect the simulation.
Signature-Based Detection
Signature-based detection is a cybersecurity method that identifies malicious activities.It compares data, such as network traffic or files, against a database of known threats.
This is the most highly effective method against the known threats, but unfortunately cannot detect the zero-day attacks since they are not added to its database.
4. Explore Encryption Tools
Encryption tools protect the user’s data by turning it into a ciphertext that is an unreadable code and is authorized to users with a decryption key to unlock it.
It protects sensitive information even during attacks by ensuring privacy, integrity, and compliance against threats like ransomware.
However, users should use other methods to protect themselves from online attacks, like strong passwords.
Moreover, different types of encryption tools are used in today’s world, such as:
Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman
RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) is a famous public key algorithm that allows a safe way to transmit information over insecure networks.
Its security relies on a pair of mathematically linked keys that are both public and private.
Two-Fish
Two-Fish is a highly secure, open-source, symmetric-key block cipher encryption algorithm. It was designed by Bruce Schneier and his team. It encrypts data in 128-bit blocks and supports variable key lengths of 128, 192, and 256 bits.
Final Thoughts
However, effective cybersecurity is a continuous, multi-layered effort involving a blend of technology and human awareness.
Strong cybersecurity builds trust with customers, protects reputation, ensures regulatory compliance, and safeguards the critical information of users.
It is not a one-time fix, but it is necessary in today’s digital world.