How to become less accessible to a potential attacker on the Internet. Personal experience and observations

Introduction

Why is it important to think about online security? A small example, if an attacker gains access to your account on any resource, this can lead to various kinds of damage, both material and moral. Here are some examples.



An attacker gets an account from social networks. This leads to the merciless distribution of sometimes bad news to all friends, such messages can negatively affect the health of someone close to them.



An attacker gets an account from hotel booking sites. By canceling the reservation, it can ruin the vacation, as well as cause material damage.



An online store, here an attacker can also do much harm by canceling a purchase that has already been paid.



There can be many such examples, and, moreover, an attacker can think much more cunningly and subtly, taking advantage of this. Well, if an attacker receives an account from the mail, this gives completely boundless open spaces for sabotage. You never know what an attacker on the Internet will be able to use tomorrow, so you’ve compiled a short list of items that can help you become more secure.

post office

Standard solution : free resources with wide functionality and advertising



Safe solution: limited in functionality free mail or full-fledged paid mail with encryption and without ads



Details: There is the possibility of encrypting mail (suddenly it will be necessary to send something critical, an important document, bank card information, etc.), a confidential account (does not require any personal data during registration), open source code (I don’t understand anything about this , but I want to believe that those who understand, looked and approved), the lack of advertising and the collection of metadata.



Here is a detailed overview of several email services.



As an example for consideration, I opted for two services.

Posteo - costs 1 euro per month, there is a calendar and contact service, IMAP, POP3 support. Everything works well.



Protonmail - IMAP and POP3 are not available in the free version. There is an application for a smartphone. I was pleased with such a function as the lifetime of the message, but I have not yet come up with a purpose for this.

Cloud drive

Typical solution : top-10 free cloud drives



Secure Solution: Paid Encrypted Cloud Drive



Details: This is a transition to safe data storage, as data in the cloud is encrypted, both from a potential attacker and from the creators of the cloud drive.

Of the entire line of cloud drives, I liked the Mega service, but there ’s an article here detailing the security flaws of this service. Nevertheless, I liked the service for a number of reasons. There is an application for synchronizing data between the computer and the cloud, so backing up to the cloud is done on the fly. It is also possible to track file versions, as stored up to 5 previous versions. If you accidentally delete something from a file, you can find an old copy and recover lost data. Open source. Intuitive interface. Convenient application for smartphone.



Cons: most likely you will want to switch to the paid version of the selected resource (the free version is usually up to 20GB). There is no way to view files using cloud drive applications, the file needs to be downloaded for viewing (this applies to the web version).

Password storage

Standard solution: passwords.txt, 2-3 standard passwords



Secure Solution: Use a password manager where there are no duplicate passwords.



Details: Storing passwords in a secure form, synchronization between a computer and a smartphone, auto-complete passwords for browsers. Now the browser does not store passwords. Here's a good article with an overview of several password storage services.



I liked the Kaspersky password manager, but there is a closed source code and a fee of 450 rubles per year.

Storing data on a flash drive or external hard drive

Typical solution: data on flash disk



Secure solution: encrypted data on flash disk



Details: Data is encrypted by the program from the manufacturer, it is not safe enough, but better than nothing. In case of loss or theft of a USB flash drive or external hard drive, you can worry a little less than if there were no encryption.



Cons: Storage media began to work much more slowly.

Computer data storage

Typical solution: unencrypted data on a computer disk



Secure Solution: The drive is encrypted with the BitLocket encryption system built into Windows.



Details: In case of loss or theft of the computer, the likelihood that the data could fall into the hands of an attacker is reduced.

Social networks and other resources on the Internet

The safest thing is not to use. The most convenient thing is to use everything. We need to find a "middle ground" so that you can use, share photos with friends, discuss something, but not be open to the whole world.



For example, if a discussion of a purchase-sale transaction often contains data such as who will be home at what time, an attacker can use this information for his own purposes. Open accounts on social networks with a vacation stream say to potential robbers: “Nobody is at home, you are welcome!”.

Banks

Typical solution: one card, one account.



Safe decision: two cards, three accounts. Main card + account for payment by card in stores (there are always few there). Separate card + account for purchases on the Internet (replenish only the amount of the purchase before purchase). Separate payroll account without reference to the card.

Details: The main card can be stolen, the pin code can be spied / read, in case of loss or theft there is no risk of losing a lot. When paying on the Internet, these cards can be compromised, issuing a virtual card each time before payment is time-consuming and expensive, it is convenient to have a separate card for these purposes.



Cons: Before buying, you must replenish the appropriate card or account.

Conclusion

Who knows what an attacker will take advantage of tomorrow. It is better to be a little less accessible, while not crossing the threshold of common sense and comfort.