If you’re connected to the Internet (especially with an “permanently on” connection such as cable or DSL), you’re at risk for intrusion from hackers or with infection from a virus or spyware. This can happen without your knowledge. You can be browsing, logging on and off various web sites, etc., and be compromised. But, you can protect yourself from this type of intrusion by following a few simple steps.
1.. Use a firewall to block all incoming relations from the Internet to air force that should not be publicly available. By default, you should deny all incoming relations and only allow air force you explicitly want to place forward to the outside world.
2.. Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it hard to crack password files on compromised computers. This helps to prevent or limit hurt when a computer is compromised. 3.. Ensure that programs and users of the computer use the lowest amount of privileges necessary to complete a task. When prompted for a root or UAC password, ensure that the program asking for administration-amount access is a legitimate application.
4.. Disable AutoPlay to prevent the automatic launching of executable files on network and removable drives, and disconnect the drives when not required. If write access is not required, enable read-only mode if the option is available.
5.. Turn off file sharing if not needed. If file sharing is required, use ACLs and password protection to limit access. Disable anonymous access to mutual folders. Grant access only to user financial statement with strong passwords to folders that must be mutual.
6.. Turn off and remove unnecessary air force. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary air force that are not critical. These air force are avenues of attack. If they are removed, threats have less avenues of attack.
7.. If a threat exploits one or more network air force, disable, or block access to, those air force until a patch is applied.
8.. Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread threats, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.
9.. Isolate compromised computers quickly to prevent threats from spreading further. Perform a forensic analysis and restore the computers using trusted media.
10.. Teach employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them. Also, do not do software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses. Simply visiting a compromised Web site can produce infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.
When it comes to doing business online, security is a two-way street. Safe online transactions demand smart behavior on the part of consumers and proactive security policies and procedures on the part of Web sites.
Businesses that sell goods or air force online also have a responsibility to keep their transactions secure and confidential. And the more sites know about current e-commerce security threats, the better job they can do at protecting their transactions. Your browser should comply with industry security standards, such as SSL Certificate. SSL(Secure Socket Layer) is a security Protocol.
Posts Tagged ‘Safe’
10 Points to keep your network secure and safe from hackers and viruses
Thursday, January 21st, 2010Safe and Secure Online Payments With Ssl Certificates
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009The seamless world of the Internet has broken open the physical barriers that existed across regions on the Globe. Today, therefore, you could be sitting in Munich and buying goodies from Seoul. Very convenient, and thrilling. But, when you pay for your goodies and swipe you’re Credit Card, are you sure, you are paying only for what you paid for? Chances are your Credit Card Information traverses through alien territory into the incorrect pair of hands. The result, the next morning, you will find your Bank account eroded or emptied? Not a situation that most of us can meet the expense of or delight in.
How do we then transact on the Internet and yet safeguard our hard earned monies from those Electronic pirates? The answer is relatively simple. Every time you choose to buy product or air force through web-sites, previous to entering your Credit Card and other personal information look for information on whether the payment gateway is open. Informed customers would permanently prefer to transact their business through secure sites and this will involuntarily bring in more business to Websites open through SSL certificates from well known providers.
Payment gateways are open through SSL or Open Socket Layer. When you penetrate your personal and or Credit Card information into a secure site, an encrypted public key is produced. This is termed as a handshake to authenticate safe transaction. The unique encryption method which gets established in the process will have a unique session key. This process protects theft of valuable data and only the transaction that you intend to complete is processed.
SSL certification has been found to be very reliable across, Internet users and also among the customers. These certificates are issued by a reliable and trusted authority, the Certificate Authority. The web-site through which you are attempting to transact business carries signs of the outfit which has issued the SSL certificates. There are other similar agencies too, which place forward these SSL certifications. When you click on the sign, the details of the certifying outfit are showed.
When you click on such open domains, your system generates a SSL handshake which is accessed by the web-site server. The unique encryption method employed then allows a secure transaction to go through.
Why all this bother?
When you are transacting valuable business or even sending across precious data, it is necessary to route them through secure servers which have the seal of security such as an SSL certificate. In the absence of this Security, it would compare with sending a snail mail in a transparent envelope.
For E-Commerce and other Web-site owners, the SSL certification acts as a stamp of credibility and assurance of safety to their valuable customers.
For the Service Providers and other Vendors/Merchants in the Internet world, exhibiting their site security sign – a reputed one at that, not only assures the customer that the information he parts with will be securely handled, but also separates them from the crowd. Informed customers would permanently prefer to transact their business through secure sites and this will involuntarily bring in more business to Websites open through SSL certificates from well known providers.