5 simple steps you can take to protect yourself online

Useful advice for when antivirus is not able to provide complete protection against online threats.

Security in the network - is much more than the installation of a protective screen and a systematic search for viruses. It is more important to develop good habits and perform simple actions, the benefits of which can be much more.

Use a spam filter for email

The lion's share of all incoming emails are spam, some of which may contain malicious attachments. This newsletter - an incredibly simple and yet effective way to infect your PC.

Unfortunately, you do not have the right to control who can send you emails. Once your email address falls into the scam base starts the bombardment of fake promotions, exclusive offers and other debris.

Especially are dangerous phishing emailsThat resemble an official email from banks, large organizations, and Web resources, where you were registered. Their purpose - to mislead you and send a fake site, where you will be asked to specify some personal data.

Deal with such malicious emails can only be using spam filters, available in popular e-mail services. Often, some waste is blocked and without your intervention, but if it does not, just check one of the suspicious messages as spam, to continue service to filter mail from selected addressee.

Never open suspicious attachments or click on links in emails from unknown senders.

Go to the postal service with encryption

To protect the electronic box and the content of your emails is not enough to use popular email service. Even if you have a secure password, two-factor authentication, and HTTPS-connection, the risk of personal information leakage is still there.

Secure your mail is a special postal service with encryption of all messages. Examples: ProtonMail, Tutanota, Mailfence. They offer both free rates with the limited space in the cloud, and paid without significant restrictions.

Use reliable browsers and extensions

In addition to e-mail, a lot of threats to your online security comes directly through browser and extension assigned to it. It is important to use proven programs and add-ons installed and approved by millions of other users.

One of the most reliable browser with continually updated protection system is Mozilla Firefox. In contrast to the same google ChromeHe does not follow the users and not allow themselves too much.

If you need to install any extension, be sure to first read the reviews, match them with the number of downloads, check the information about the developer. There is no guarantee that a harmless program to save your notes is not fraught with malicious threats.

Use extensions only from known and reputable developers who value their reputation.

Go only proven links

Simple to follow a link in the network may redirect you to a phishing site, or even activate the download malicious files onto your PC. And often such links can be found on large sites, do not have time to moderate the accounts.

Ensure that the linked web page links are harmless can be special antivirus tools and browser extensions. Also check the safety references may be at special sites, such as Scanurl and Phishtank.

Separately, you can note the tool check sites from Google, called "Secure browsing». It can help you learn about the presence of harmful content and check the terms of the last update.

Use a proxy server or VPN

Anonymous visit sites also allows you to protect your personal data. Hide from the online monitors, you can use the Proxy or VPN-services. In both cases, you will not only depersonalize your network activity, but also to visit previously inaccessible because of the lock resources.

The easiest way to use the VPN-solutions available in the form of PC utilities, and as more practical and user-friendly browser extensions. The most popular in recent years and are TunnelBear Hotspot Shield, but their sites in Russia have started to block. As long as an affordable alternative - Windscribe.

see also

• As security professionals protect personal data →
• 6 myths about Internet security, the belief that could get expensive →
• 19 extensions for security and privacy of surfing in Chrome →