INTERNET SECURITY: SURFING THE INTERNET SAFELY

The world has gotten to an era of digitization where digital technologies, such as computers, smartphones, and the internet, are transforming many aspects of our lives, day-to-day activities, etc. We use the internet for everything now, from providing solutions to our school or work projects to having conversations with our friends and families irrespective of the distance.

Of course, we rely on the Internet because it enables instantaneous exchange of information across the globe, performs financial transactions, and stores our personal information. We put too much trust and reliance on the Internet, which is why Internet security is essential. Ensuring safety and integrity while browsing the internet is paramount.

This article aims to provide detailed insights into safe internet browsing and personal information protection. With this knowledge, individuals can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to cyber threats and ensure their data remains uncompromised.

What is Internet security?

As our daily lives become increasingly digital, internet security becomes more and more essential. Internet security, also known as cybersecurity, refers to a couple of measures, practices, and technologies applied and designed to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of digital information, computer networks, and systems from unauthorized access, use, leakage, interruption, alteration, and damage. Cybersecurity can be classified into four categories:

1. Data Protection
2. Network and System Security
3. Access and Identity Management

4. Threat Prevention and Response

5. Data Protection:

This is a branch of Internet security that refers to the practices, technologies, and policies designed to safeguard digital information from unauthorized access, loss, theft, and fraud, especially with financial transactions. How can we establish data protection in our computer system for both personal and business information?
The following are measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal and business data.

a. Data encryption: This is a process of converting plaintext data into unreadable ciphertext to protect it from unauthorized access. How does data encryption work?

Here's how:
It works when an encryption algorithm and a secret key transform plaintext data into unreadable ciphertext. This ciphertext is then transmitted securely and can only be deciphered by the intended recipient who possesses the corresponding decryption key or algorithm, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of the data.

For instance, encrypting the message "Where are you?" with Advanced Encryption Standard and the secret key would result in a string of scrambled data that cannot be understood just by looking at it. Such as "d4f1e2b3a8c9f0e1...". It appears to be meaningless to anyone who does not have the key.

Before we go further, let's take a quick look at what Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) means and how it functions. AES is a specification for encrypting electronic data, a symmetric key block cipher that converts plaintext data into ciphertext, converts ciphertext back into plaintext, and expands the secret key into a set of round keys for encryption and decryption. AES divides data into fixed-size blocks (typically 128 bits) and encrypts each block independently. This means that the input data is split into smaller, equal-sized blocks of 128 bits (16 bytes) each. Then each block is encrypted separately, using the same encryption key and algorithm. AES encrypts one block at a time, producing a corresponding block of ciphertext.

Another term we should look at when talking about data encryption is cryptography. Hearing the word "cryptography," you may think it has something to do with cryptocurrency, but you're wrong. Then what is cryptography?
Cryptography is the study of secure communication, which includes data encryption, but that is not all that is to it. It is the study of data encryption, which is protecting data from unauthorized access. Cryptography is also the study of digital signatures, ensuring the authenticity of the sender and the integrity of the data, as well as key management and managing the keys used for encryption and decryption.

Common applications of cryptography are secure online transactions (e.g., HTTPS, SSL/TLS) and virtual private networks (VPNs). VPN relies on cryptography to mask computer network user IP addresses and encrypt data to maintain privacy.

1. Network and System Security:

While internet security focuses specifically on safeguarding online interactions (like web browsing, emails, or e-commerce), network and system security are important branches of it. Let's see how:

a. Network Security's Role in Internet Security: Protects communication channels (like Wi-Fi and cloud networks) to ensure safe Internet access and data exchange.

Key aspects of Network Security

Access Control: Restricts unauthorized access by enforcing policies and authentication mechanisms. Examples include firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs).

Encryption: Secures data while it's transmitted across networks to prevent interception or eavesdropping (e.g., SSL/TLS for secure websites).

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS): Monitors network traffic to detect and block malicious activity.

Firewalls: Act as a barrier between trusted internal networks and untrusted external networks, filtering traffic based on security rules.

Network Segmentation: Divides a network into segments to limit the impact of potential breaches.
System Security's Role in Internet Security: Secures end-user devices, ensur­­ing that personal data, passwords, and online activities remain protected.

Key Aspects of System Security

Operating System Security: Involves hardening the OS by applying security patches, removing unused services, and implementing proper user permissions.

Endpoint Security: Secures devices like laptops, desktops, and IoT devices through antivirus software, firewalls, and endpoint detection.

Authentication Mechanisms: Uses passwords, biometrics, or multi-factor authentication (MFA) to verify user identities.

Application Security: Protects software applications by finding and fixing vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).

In cybersecurity, network security protects the infrastructure and communication pathways, while system security ensures individual devices are secure, working in unison to form a comprehensive defense against cyber threats. Both are critical for maintaining internet security, where they address risks in online interactions and data exchanges.

1. Access and Identity Management (AIM): To ensure that the right individuals have genuine access to certain resources at the right time, Access and Identity Management (AIM), which is a system of internet security, plays a crucial role in controlling, managing, and securing user access to systems, networks, and data, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized use.

Let's look into the components of access and identity management:

Identity management involves creating, managing, and maintaining users' profiles, identities, and credentials within a system.

Access Management: This focuses on controlling what users can access based on these privileges.
Authentication ensures that privileged users can have access to a system through methods like passwords, biometrics, and multi-factor authentication.

Monitoring and Auditing: tracks users' activities in a system to identify suspicious behavior, detect breaches, and ensure compliance with regulations.

Applications of AIM in the Internet and Cybersecurity

a. Cloud Security: AIM manages user access to cloud resources, preventing unauthorized use of online applications and data.
b. Internet of Things (IoT): AIM ensures secure access and management of devices connected to the internet, protecting IoT networks from cyber threats.
c. Digital identity verification: This service verifies identities for online banking, e-commerce, and government services, reducing fraud and identity theft.
d. Zero Trust Architecture: AIM is fundamental to the "Zero Trust" security model, where no user or device is trusted by default and strict identity verification is enforced.

1. Threat Prevention and Response: In today’s digital age, businesses face constant threats from cyberattacks that can compromise sensitive data and disrupt operations. To protect their systems, organizations must adopt robust threat prevention and response strategies. These strategies involve proactive measures to prevent attacks and swift actions to mitigate damage when an attack occurs.

Let's use this scenerio for better understanding:

A microfinance bank manages sensitive information and financial data of a customer, it makes both the bank and the customer at risk of being prime targets of cybercriminals.
Knowing this, the bank implements several preventive measures, such as advanced firewalls, email security solutions, and so on.

All employees are regularly trained to recognize phishing emails and make sure critical data is backed up daily to secure offline locations. Additionally, the bank ensure all software and systems are updated to close any vulnerabilities attackers might exploit.

Despite these efforts, a junior employee accidentally opened a phishing email attachment disguised as an invoice. This triggered a ransomware attack that encrypted files on their computer and displayed a ransom demand. Fortunately, the bank’s threat prevention and response measures significantly minimized the impact.

The attack was immediately detected by the bank’s Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) system, which flagged unusual file encryption activity. The cybersecurity team quickly isolated the infected device from the network, preventing the ransomware from spreading. A forensic analysis revealed the phishing email as the attack’s source, and the team confirmed no customer data was stolen.

Using their secure backups, the bank restored the encrypted files without paying the ransom. They also blocked the phishing email across the network and removed the ransomware from the affected system. Following the incident, the bank conducted a post-incident review, strengthening email filters, enhancing phishing awareness training, and updating their incident response plan to address similar threats more effectively in the future.

This case highlights the critical role of threat prevention and response in cybersecurity. Preventive measures like regular employee training, advanced security tools, and secure data backups can stop many attacks before they occur. When an attack does happen, a quick and well-coordinated response ensures minimal damage and a swift recovery.

Cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, organizations must invest in comprehensive threat prevention and response strategies. By doing so, they can safeguard operations, maintain customer trust, and ensure resilience against evolving cyber risk

Conclusion

Internet security is no longer optional in today’s digital world. By adopting best practices like encryption, strong authentication, and regular backups, you can safeguard your personal information and significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to cyber threats.

Remember, staying informed and vigilant is your first line of defense. Protect yourself, your data, and your online presence.