9 Cyber Security Terms One Should Know

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1,852 cyber-attacks hit India each minute, thus making it imperative to keep your personal devices secure, data private and online world safe from harm. While plenty of reliable solutions exist for desktop and mobile, knowing where you’re vulnerable can be difficult, especially if you’re not familiar with the jargon and acronyms that get thrown around.

In this post, we will help define 9 cyber security definitions and terms you need to know, and how you can stay safe and protected:

Data Breach – A data breach happens when a company’s network is attacked and valuable data is stolen – usually personal information, log-in credentials, credit card details, etc. The stolen data can then be abused in many ways: held for ransom (see Ransomware below), sold on the dark net and used to make purchases. Often hackers try to crack email passwords, then test those log-in details on other popular sites, since many people use the same credentials for multiple accounts.

Ransomware – Ransomware is malware that takes hold of your system and encrypts it, sometimes attacking individual files. Attempting to access the encrypted files triggers the ransom note, which claims you are locked out until you make a payment. The messages sometimes pretend to be from a hacker, who claims to have recorded you in a vulnerable situation, which scares many into paying the ransom. Payment is often demanded in Bitcoin.

Botnet – A botnet (robot and network) is a network of devices infected by an attacker and then used together to perform tasks such as DDoS attacks (see below), mining Bitcoin and spreading spam emails. Almost any device connected to the internet, including home routers, can be infected and pulled into a botnet without its owner ever noticing.

DDoS Attack – This is one of the most common cyber-attacks in India. Attackers use DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks to render a network unavailable. They do this by overwhelming the targeted machine with massive requests from multiple devices. The target suffers a severely clogged bandwidth and legitimate connections become impossible. These attacks are typically carried out by botnets (see above).

DNS attack – A “domain name server” attack is a type of DDoS attack that uses specific kinds of query protocols and available hardware to overwhelm a system with incoming queries. DNS hijacking involves redirecting users to malicious sites through the use of a rogue DNS server. For instance, you’d expect “google.com” to take you to Google’s IP address. Using a DNS hijack, however, cybercriminals can translate “google.com” to their own IP address, redirecting you to a malicious site where they can collect your information or have you download malware.

Mobile banking Trojans – These looks like your trusted banking app, but that’s just a cover. Underneath it, a mobile banking Trojan tricks you into entering financial credentials and personal information. It can also gain administrative rights to intercept SMS messages, making it possible to record OTP’s/two-factor authentication codes, as well.

Public/Open/Free Wi-Fi – Public/Open/Free Wi-Fi networks are unencrypted, which is why they’re risky. Anyone can create a fake mobile hotspot and trick your device into joining it automatically.

When you use free Wi-Fi without the protection of a VPN (see tips below), anyone on that network can see the sites you visit, your login passwords, your financial and personal data, and more. Hackers often name their phony Wi-Fi networks after popular spots (like “Starbucks”), knowing that most devices automatically re-join hotspots they’ve used in the past. Hackers can even redirect your unencrypted traffic, sending you to malicious sites.

Phishing – Used by cybercriminals to trick you into giving up sensitive information, phishing scams pose as emails from an organization or person you know. There is usually a link or attachment included, which it urges you to click so that you’ll unwittingly download malware to your system. Sometimes phishing scams look indistinguishable from the sites they’re imitating, and they attempt to trick you into entering your password.

Spyware – Spyware is malware used by hackers to spy on you, so they can access personal information, bank account details, online activity and anything else they may find valuable. On mobile devices, spyware can log your whereabouts, read your text messages, redirect calls, and much more.

Our Tips to keep you Safe and Secure

While it may all sound daunting, employing a few simple strategies will keep almost everything from botnets to Trojans at bay. Here are our top tips:

Install all-inclusive Security Software: We recommend Avast Ultimate, as it includes a Premium Antivirus – Avast Premier, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) – Avast SecureLine VPN, a Passwords Manager – Avast Passwords Premium and a PC Junk Cleaner – Avast PC Cleanup Premium, thus providing comprehensive protection, performance and privacy to your PC and keeping it secure against Spyware, Phishing, Public Wi-Fi threats, etc.

You can buy Avast Ultimate on Sale from here.

Use a VPN, if you use free/open Wi-Fi often: A Virtual Private Network (VPN) — such as Avast SecureLine VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection, that protects your personal data and your privacy on up to 5 multi-platform (PC, Mac, Android & iOS) devices. With VPN’s, you browse anonymously and your location can be changed, helping to keep you from being tracked.

You can buy Avast SecureLine VPN on Sale from here.

Install a competent mobile Antivirus: Use a trusted smartphone antivirus like Avast Mobile Security – Ultimate, which blocks Trojans from entering and removes any that are already present. It will also ensure you download apps from trusted sources only. Moreover, the Ultimate version of the Antivirus includes an unlimited VPN, thus enhancing your mobile privacy.

You can buy Avast Mobile Security for Android – Ultimate on Sale from here. For great deals on Avast and AVG’s range of digital security products, do check out: www.avastavg.in.

#Anti virus #Avast #Cyber-security #DDoS #DNS #Malware #Phishing #Ransomware #Trojans

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Harpreet S

Harpreet is a senior Technocrat from Industry with penchant for blogging, product reviews. Apart from Technology, he covers sectors like Lifestyle, Luxury, Travel, Automobile, Fashion, Healthcare, Real Estate, Hospitality, Education and much more