How
Not to Get Infected from Virus
When
browsing the Internet, accessing social networks, emails or filling out an
online form, there are a number of drawbacks that many users often encounter. Many
problems that can cause the infection of a computer or information leakage are
reported daily and the number of users
When
browsing the Internet, accessing social networks, emails or filling out an
online form, there are a number of drawbacks that many users often
encounter. Many problems that can cause the infection of a computer, smart
phone or information leakage are reported daily and the number of users who see
their information compromised is considerable. That is why today, we are
going to review 10 tips to avoid infection of a system or device. (Antivirus Software)
1. Use a secure connection
It
seems simple, but many users tend to overlook the fact that when logging into a
website the connection is through HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol
Secure). When accessing a web page using this protocol, the communication
between the client and the server travels encrypted, which increases security
and minimizes the possibility of password theft. When accessing these
types of sites, you can see the difference between accessing
using HTTPS or without security over HTTP. It is possible
to configure a secure connection in social networks , so that all
communication with the site is encrypted.
2. Avoid misleading links
When emails
of doubtful origin are received , such as from a contact who speaks in
Spanish, we receive an email in Portuguese, an alleged email from a bank to
update the information, email chains about changing a free email service to
payment or a billionaire who wants to give away his money. On more than
one occasion we have shared with you the analyzes and investigations where the
attackers hide the real link within a YouTube link or
another similar strategy.
3. Analyze attachments
When
sending and receiving emails, the user must take certain considerations to
avoid infecting their computer or device through attachments in emails, since
repeatedly, for a matter of time, they do not analyze the attachments in emails
with a antivirus solution and in this way the security
of your information could be exposed.
4. Scan removable devices
External
storage media, where USB devices are included, are one of the malicious code
propagation channels with the highest detection rate in Latin America. By
plugging a memory into an unknown computer, users often infect their devices
with malicious code, then use it to transport work information. In this
way an employee who does not analyze your USB device could infect the entire
company network.
5. Configure privacy policies on social networks
When
using social networks
such as Facebook , Twitter or Google+ , users
often set privacy parameters aside and share not only their information,
but also share their contact details with anyone who accesses their
profile. The configuration of privacy policies is one of the
barriers to implement to prevent an attacker from collecting user information.
6. Use strong passwords
When
creating an account on a website, you should always use passwords that are a
combination of numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters and if possible use
special characters. In this way, the possibility of an
attacker discovering the password is minimal. Studies have shown
that users often do not use strong passwords to access their accounts
on the Internet, which presents a gateway for attackers. Some examples of strong
keys are "Jos33ntr @", "C0ntr @ z3n @ #", "Jp3t?
Xi9-" ,: "4ApEKzqK" or "L @ # nt67nx"
7. Update programs and operating system
Both
the different operating systems (Windows, Mac OS, or the
different GNU Linux distributions) and the applications that can be
installed on them (web browsers, office applications, video players, design
programs, etc.), have updates that solve various problems that could lead to
computer infection. When a user does not install these updates, they leave
their system vulnerable to a possible infection with malicious code
that turns their computer into part of a network of zombie computers, known as
a botnet .
8. Find information safely
When
trying to access information through search engines such
as Google , Bing or Yahoo! , the user could be a
victim of Black-Hat SEO and linked to a bogus page from where they
could download a fake security solution or other malicious
code. These methodologies for spreading malware use events of
worldwide repercussion to attract the attention of users when trying to get the
latest news.
9. Use a security solution
The
use of an antivirus solution with proactive detection
capacity allows the computer to be protected in real time against the
infection of malicious code, detecting its presence before it infects the
computer and may compromise the security of the information hosted on
it. In addition, there are also tools such
as firewalls and antispam to increase computer protection.
10. Take care of the information in public places
With
the massive use of smartphones, notebooks and tablets,
users usually connect to whatever network they find available, without taking
into account the risks that this may imply for their information. When a
user decides to connect to a wireless network, from a cafeteria or others, they
must pay attention to its security and it is recommended not to access sites
such as electronic banking, since an attacker could be analyzing the network
traffic and stealing your information.