Security, security, security. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest concerns of any Internet user in the world. It’s normal, computers and smartphone have now become so essential that we keep extremely intimate information in them .
Fortunately there is a sector that specializes precisely in our security when using any device: cybersecurity. Thanks to it there are firewalls, antivirus programs and other programs for the protection of your equipment against attacks of any kind.
In this article we are going to talk about the main strategies used by professionals to keep their equipment safe , so that you can follow the example to do the same on your computer either in a smaller way or larger scale.
Index:
What is computer security and what is it for?
The cybersecurity or information security of information is an area that focuses on the protection of data stored on a computer or that flows through a computer network. This is responsible for guaranteeing 3 fundamental things: the privacy of the data, the encryption of these and above all keep them out of risk of being damaged .
The privacy of the data is a matter of life or death in computer science, since the information that we keep on our computer can only be seen by us, and anyone who wants to do so, must have our consent. This is usually about encrypting the data so that anyone who tries to acquire it must decrypt it first .
On the other hand, it is important to keep the data out of reach of viruses or other factors that may spoil them, causing them to no longer be read by any program on the computer. This is very important, since a damaged data can cause a chain reaction that affects the operation of a software , an operating system and even the whole equipment.
Types of computer security: What are they and what does each guarantee ?
There are several types of computer security, since it has been diversified to provide support in everything that has to do with the computer as computer equipment.
Here we tell you what they are and what each one specializes in:
Software security
When computers were born, the concept of software security was also born. You could say that this is the main computer security because it focuses on protecting the programs and files that make up these. Over the years it has evolved to the point that each software has its own data protection system , thanks to certain internal protocols of this.
Hardware security
Over the years, we realized that software was not the only thing that needed protection, but also hardware. Many people who hear the term think that it is moving away from the main idea of cybersecurity , but the reality is that it cannot be more related.
One of the most important terms of digital information security is undoubtedly firewalls or firewalls. These were created to control the flow of data that goes through the hardware, so that it has to work less and have greater control over the data it handles to increase its security .
Online security
Finally, there is that cybersecurity that is responsible for keeping us protected from the dangers of the internet. It is thanks to this that tools such as antivirus, to protect data from malicious files that may damage them, and antispyware, begin to be developed to keep those who want to snoop into them at bay .
This is where the purest essence of computer security is found, and it is also the one with the greatest study since the term was invented.
What are the main strategies used in digital security and its benefits?
A word that perfectly defines what computer security is is “strategy”. The reality is that this area is based on a set of strategies that strengthen each other to maintain a computer or network of these completely safe in every way.
Here are the main security strategies you should consider and you can never ignore:
Backing up information
One of the most used techniques in the world of information security is undoubtedly its support. Think wisely. If you are going to keep the evidence of a trial safe, The first thing you should do is back it up in a safe place with a backup . This is precisely what is done with this strategy.
The idea is simply to take the most important data (all are) and make a copy of them and keep them in a safe place that can later be accessed to recover the necessary data.
This idea is simple and quite effective, but to be efficient you must have the following features :
- Automatic: A data backup system must be able to perform continuously automatically from time to time. Larger companies need this to be done daily.
- Encryption: To keep information completely secure after backup it is important that these are encrypted so that no third party without authorization can access them .
- Remote: It is also vital that backed up data is stored remotely in a location outside the host computer. Currently, one of the most used is cloud storage .
- Access to old versions : Finally, the user must have access to Previous versions of the supported information. For example, if you have a document in Excel, it is backed up, then the next day you modify it, and the system makes another copy. The idea is that you can also access the version of the backup that was made before it was edited.
These are just some basic features that you should keep in mind when choosing a backup system. There are obviously programs that offer certain extras that make them even safer. .
Malware protection
A constant threat in the world of computing is viruses or malicious files, which can cause many problems in a data bank for both raw information (videos, photos, audio), as well as the data they compose a program or file system.
In this sense, the most important elements to consider are :
- Antivirus: Antivirus are specially developed programs to detect malicious files that try to enter our computer, blocking them and sending them directly to a secure location in the one that does not spread (quarantine), to later eliminate them. They are very complex and are made up of other security elements such as fire-fighting.
- Software control : Another important thing is to have more control over installed programs . If we have only the tools we need on our computer, and not one that we use once every 2000 years, we will undoubtedly be more protected against threats.
Spy protection
Antispyware are those that specialize in preventing a third party, through a virus, from having access to information on our computer, a constant threat especially when we surf the internet.
To meet this goal, priority is given to :
- Wired networks : Old school hackers used to approach server buildings and with certain devices connected to network wiring , intercept the communications of it. This method is currently less used, but remains a threat, so it is important to ensure physical communications.
- Wireless networks : in the new school, with the rise of Wireless connections, hackers use devices to intercept the signal and get the data flowing through it , so it is very important to ensure this too.
Data cleaning
This cybersecurity strategy is based on the theory that there are data that are more sensitive than others, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to attacks of all kinds. That is why what is treated in this regard is to clean the system of these files that may pose a risk to the safety of others .
In this sense, one of the most related terms is what is known as «secure deletion», which is based on simply eliminating irrelevant data that does not represent a serious loss of information for the company or the system as such.
System monitoring and analysis
Finally, there is the constant analysis of the system to verify that there are no vulnerabilities in it, so a program that takes care of it is necessary. This is such an essential strategy that many programs such as antivirus or antispyware have their own risk analysis and reporting system .
Steps to configure the security of your computer and make it impossible to hack
While in the previous step we named the different cybersecurity strategies separately, it is important that you know that applying only one of them is not enough. To have a perfectly secured device, it is necessary to apply them all, or at least most of them.
Based on this, we are going to teach you how to apply several of these strategies on your computer or mobile, to have a first level personalized security system. This way the information of all your devices will be more than assured .
Set a password
This is one of the things that computer users ignore, but it is very childish to try to apply cybersecurity to your computer when anyone can access it by simply turning it on. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is establish a user lock , so that every time someone wants to use the equipment, you will encounter this barrier.
With mobile we are much more aware and almost 100% of users have active screen lock. This is the first line of defense between the curious and your private information.
In this sense, mobile devices have advanced a lot, offering various ways of unlocking such as :
- PIN: allows you to set a password of 4 numeric digits to unlock the smartphone screen . It is a very basic concept, like that of your bank’s debit cards, and therefore it is also the weakest.
- Password: allows you to establish a code that can combine numbers, letters and symbols and have the extension you want. It is also a very basic concept, but if you think a good password can be the most secure.
- Pattern: shows you nine points on the screen that you must join following a sequence, without touching a previous point again. Its security is intermediate, since the number of possible pattern combinations is quite limited .
- Face unlock: allows you to scan your face to unlock the screen . It was an experiment at the time and the sensors were not so reliable, but they are currently much more accurate.
- Fingerprint : allows you to register your fingerprint > to unlock the screen. Current sensors are very accurate and it is by far the safest method of all.
In this way you will have established a protection mechanism against those who wish to snoop in your smartphone, a full-time antispywere, or at least one of its most important elements .
Install Antivirus
The following is to protect your information against those malicious files. For this you will need the most symbolic software security program such as an antivirus. At the time, these were exclusive to the computer, but the most famous developers already have a mobile version .
The ideal in this regard is to have an antivirus from the same developer for PC and mobile, as some are even including synchronization and remote access functions between devices of the same owner. Some of the brands that have a presence on both devices are :
- Avira Antivirus: on desktop offers a complete program that offers antispyware and other functions to make your computer a strength. In mobile its reputation is not as well known, but it allows you to protect your device from any threat you download, and allows you to customize other security features such as screen lock.
- McAfee: one of the most important computer security firms in the world, with it you can keep all your devices fully secured and receive reports from each one of them constantly.
- AVG Antivirus: from Several years ago it has been one of the best computer security programs in the world, allowing you to keep all your computers free of viruses and other threats.
Check Firewall
Firewall or firewall is one of the first lines of defense against viruses . It is important that it is always active as it identifies threats as if it were an antivirus. In Windows, what you need to do to check is:
- Go to “ Control Panel ” and go to “ System and Security “.
- Then you must tap on section “Windows Firewall”.
- Then that will be directed to a screen where you can see the status of the firewall as you see in the image.
Optimize device
At this point, the point is to keep the equipment to its maximum capacity, so that it is less vulnerable to failures. For this you will have to perform actions as essential as cleaning your computer and smartphone. In this sense there are programs like CCleaner that will help you in this task perfectly .