The news always seems to have some story about data breaches and hacking, but i'm wondering what the common person does? Do you change passwords every few months? Shred all paper documents? Only use sites with HTTPS and the lock symbol? It feels like it's hard to beat data hacking, but we gotta try I guess.
I use Firefox with pop-up blockers, try to avoid Google and cookies. Never give more than the required information, never answer email unless it's from a friend. Other than that, just accept that information privacy is fiction, and all of your information has, or will be, stolen and used against you. There is safety in the herd though, and once enough of this happens (and it will), laws will be made, and new systems will be developed. Just do what little you can, for now.
Let see first my hard drives are all encrypted in case I had one of my computers stolen when traveling or during a break in at home, then all my browsers or any other program that connect to the internet is sandbox with a program by the name of sandboxie and the sandbox is wiped after every session on the net. My important information is in a encrypted vol. on top of the disks being encrypted. Then I am using a program that only allow programs that I had white list to run and so on. Layer the security..........
I just change back to defender as it seem that the anti virus program I was using had been change to the point that it started causing all kind of errors with my sandbox program.
Not all programs play nice together, not compatible. Limit physically Internet connections and what has access, as simple as unplugging and working offline whenever possible.
Bottom line, most of our info continues to be collected by big financials that continue to "accidentally" lose it. I smell a rat collective.
The paper documents make good kindling. Our passwords are as long as is allowed, and created by my own system. All our financials are on an old computer which is not connected to the internet. We buy almost everything local using cash and when we make a rare purchase over the internet, our card issuer has our back and has changed our account number four times and issued new cards quickly. Last time there was a problem, someone bought a big tv in Vegas and they called an hour later -- nope, we've never been there. They took care of it as always, no problem for us. Nothing good comes in over the phone if you don't already know or do business with who is on the other end. We don't talk to people on the phone we don't know. We don't waste time talking to people who want to do surveys or ask questions and don't want to pay for your time. I remove my hard drives and wipe them with a rosebud acetylene torch before getting rid of an old computer. Sure, we're not safe, but we do what we can.
There is only ONE (1) way to assure no data is taken from the internet. DO NOT put it there in the first place!
I'm behind a router. I run Bitdefender Internet Security 2018. It constantly monitors my surfing, email and hard drive, as well as secures my documents, photos and videos from ransomware. I always update my operating system and antivirus/antimalware software. I don't click any links in unfamiliar email. I don't store any documents on the cloud or online server. And I keep backups to a hard drive and a flash drive. I also run scans with Malwarebytes and Super Antispyware manually from time to time as a supplement to Bitdefender. That's about it. I'm more concerned about electromagnetic pulse attacks and hurricanes than getting hacked.
Intel gonna fix Chip Security Flaws... Intel CEO: Fixes on Way for Serious Chip Security Flaws January 09, 2018 — Intel has big plans to steer toward new business in self-driving cars, virtual reality and other cutting-edge technologies. But first it has to pull out of a skid caused by a serious security flaw in its processor chips, which undergird many of the world's smartphones and personal computers.
I use the free version of sandboxie to sandbox all programs that connect to the internet and a program by the name of process guard that only allow programs that I had white list to run. Every time I end a browser internet session all cookies and all programs and information that I had not save is wipe off the hard drive. I can direct my browser to used the tor network with one click of my mouse. Password file is encrypted using truecrypt last version and so on. Layering defense had work so far for me.
I have no security protocols at all. I just throw out the computer once it is infected and buy a new one. Which is expensive since my computers are always $7,500 Apple Mac Pro's. j/k
Sure it does short of an all out many millions of dollars attack by super computers at the NSA that might repeat might be able to break the encrypted. However with long random keys there is no known way of breaking modern encrypts in the public domain.
Being a graduate my university allows me to run through their system which I have no idea what it is. But basically my computer is protected by the same stuff they use on campus. I also have an Alienware computer which has its own protective system. It apparently is running constant scans because it keeps telling me when its finished. I have yet to ever pick up one virus. Alienware command center, the name of the program also monitors everything on my system from heat to fan speed and let's me control them. I can kick up the RPM's on my fans with a touch of a button. Its pretty damn amazing actually, I know they are expensive but I will never buy from a different company again.
