TL;DR
- The analogy of an onion to explain online security layers.
- Importance of strong passcodes and secure email practices.
- The evolution of online security measures.
- Expert insights into protecting your digital life.
Join us at the Norman Public Library Central Location on September 20, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. for an exclusive one-night seminar titled “Conquer the Digital Adversaries and Emerge Victorious.” In this complimentary event, I will impart the knowledge to construct your fortress of online security.
Those of any age can take advantage of this chance. To secure your spot, visit pioneer.libnet.info/event/8770968 or contact us at 405-701-2600 for additional information. This event is proudly sponsored by Josh Nelson Allstate Insurance, McClain Bank, and the Norman Transcript.
You might wonder why I am delving into the topic of onions when there’s a plethora of pressing digital concerns, such as thwarting computer viruses, ensuring secure online banking, and fortifying your digital existence against hackers.
The onion serves as an apt analogy because, much like effective online safety, it is constructed in layers. No single action can guarantee your online safety; it necessitates a multifaceted approach, akin to the layers of an onion.
The fundamental premise is that if malevolent forces on the internet manage to breach one layer of your online safety onion, they are instantly confronted with another layer to surmount. Should they overcome that barrier, another awaits them, and the process repeats. With a robust array of protective layers in place, potential adversaries are more likely to seek easier, less fortified targets elsewhere.
The core of the onion model I present incorporates built-in safeguards intrinsic to computing systems, such as a firewall (Layer 1) and the capability to update your operating system, whether it be Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X, or the operating system powering your mobile device (Layer 2). Additionally, numerous programs integral to your system, such as word processors, accounting software, and internet utilities like browsers, necessitate periodic updates (Layer 3).
Superimposed upon these foundational layers are elements such as antivirus software, more appropriately referred to as “antimalware” programs. In the days of yore, we employed distinct applications for antivirus protection, spyware detection, and adware mitigation.
In contemporary times, we rely on antimalware programs that comprehensively safeguard against all these threats. During the seminar, we will explore the most effective options available.
Subsequent layers of your online security onion primarily pertain to behavioral patterns rather than software installations. One critical behavioral layer revolves around the utilization of robust passcodes. The term “password” can be somewhat misleading; I prefer the terms “passcode” or “passphrase” since the codes we employ to access our email, banking, and online shopping should never be straightforward “words.”
Most compromised online accounts fall victim due to the use of feeble, easily guessable passwords. Malevolent actors can decipher “passWORDS” with alarming speed. It is imperative to comprehend their methods and devise user-friendly passphrases that thwart their efforts.
Further strata of your online security onion should encompass secure email etiquette, safe browsing practices, the identification of fraudulent messages, avoidance of deceptive websites, secure file deletion, prudent wireless networking practices, and the evasion of spurious “system-fixing” programs.
With a foundation of safety awareness and common sense, your online security onion will emanate such an overpowering aura that potential threats will be repelled by your impenetrable defenses.
Source(S): normantranscript
