Ways to protect your personal information from hackers

The Dhaka Times Desk A few days ago, after the incident that the US intelligence agency NSA was secretly stealing the information of US citizens was leaked, there was quite a stir around the world. The detectives were using a kind of trickery to find out the citizens' phone call logs, credit card records, emails, Skype chats, Facebook messages and much more. Just as individual freedom was being destroyed, the government's arbitrariness over the citizens also became clear.

ইন্টারনেটে নিরাপত্তা বিশ্লেষকরা বলেন একটু সচেতন হলেই এবং কয়েকধাপ নিরাপত্তা বাড়িয়ে নিলেই আমরা অযাচিত হস্তক্ষেপ থেকে বাঁচতে পারি। ইন্টারনেট প্রাইভেসি ও নিরাপত্তা বিশেষজ্ঞ আসকান সলটানি এর মতে, “ইন্টারনেট নিরাপত্তাকে কঠিন করা যায় কিন্তু অসম্ভব করা যায় না। কেউ না কেউ সেটা অবশ্যই ভাঙতে পারবে। তবে সেটা নির্ভর করবে তারা কতটা আক্রমণাত্মক হয়ে আপনাকে খুঁজছে।”

However, we can follow some precautions for personal precautions. In this way, we can protect ourselves from the hands of information thieves.

1. Encrypt mail:
Every day we receive/send numerous emails. In some cases the email can be read by someone outside. If he stands between you and the recipient. It could be someone from your web mail company, someone from your internet service provider, or someone snooping on your optical fiber cable.

Internet security experts recommend using email encryption to solve this problem. As a result, if someone intrudes by sending the email, the email will be unreadable. There are many methods of encryption. But the most popular method is PGP. It is so strong that the US government wanted to block it so that the public could not use this encryption. But the biggest disadvantage of using encryption system is that it is a very complicated method. Both sender and receiver must have this system. Otherwise the email cannot be read.

2. Use Tor:
Tor is short for 'The Onion Router'. Just like email, anyone can track your browsing records. Using Tor you can control your computer traffic. Tor software was first used by the US military for its own communications. They developed it. Tor was originally used to intercept military network traffic. Tor is very useful for hiding any internet traffic while keeping personal security intact. The Japanese police have banned the use of Tor in that country.

The biggest problem with using Tor is that it slows down the network. Besides, when browsing the Internet using Tor, sometimes there is a problem in viewing videos/images.

3. Leave the mobile phone:
A few days ago some journalists in Britain recorded customers to trap information. With the addition of modern technology in mobile phones, there are huge gaps in its security. Many times intelligence agencies track mobile phone networks to find out where you are going, who you are talking to.

According to security expert Jacob Applebaum, if you think someone is following you, it's best to leave your cell phone at home when you go out.
Its biggest problem is that it is difficult to maintain contact as there is no mobile at hand at the time of need.

4. Stay away from credit cards:
A report published by the Wall Street Journal revealed that American intelligence agencies were also storing credit card statements while conducting surveillance on citizens. Cybercriminals also commit crimes in a similar manner. To avoid this hassle it is best to always use direct cash or become completely dependent on electronic currency.

5. Keep your device malware free:
Malware is usually not a virus. But it will help to hack into your computer and your network. It has been observed that when there is no way to steal data, they try to attack with malware software. A former official of the US intelligence agency said that they try to hack anyone by any means.

Malware software is usually difficult to detect. However, by keeping antivirus installed, not opening unnecessary files, changing passwords regularly, creating firewalls, malware attacks can be prevented.

Reference: India Times