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Passwords: we entrust our most important data to these strings of letters, numbers, and special characters. So, we should make sure our passwords are words or phrases that we can easily remember, right? While this might be the most convenient option, there are more secure ways to digitally lock up your most sensitive personally identifiable information (PII). In celebration of World Password Day, we’re diving into how you can practice top-notch password security without compromising convenience.1
Over the years, the password has remained a good first line of defense against cyberattacks. However, most of us tend to choose passwords based on memorable things from our lives, like family names or our pets’ birthdays. As it turns out, these details are easy for hackers to find on social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn. It’s also human nature to opt for convenience, and for many people that means setting easy-to-remember and easy-to-guess passwords. Plus, out of convenience, people often reuse passwords across multiple accounts and services. The downside is that if one account becomes compromised, all accounts become compromised.
As an alternative to single-word passwords, many security experts advocate for passphrases over passwords. Passphrases are longer strings of words and characters that are easier for you to remember and harder for nefarious software and cybercriminals to guess than random strings of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. But, according to a study, the average American internet user was projected to have 300 online accounts by 2022.2 Can you imagine memorizing 300 different passphrases? We can all agree that sounds pretty unrealistic, so users tend to look for other solutions.
If the answer is yes, you may want to reconsider, as there are several risks associated with this practice. Although it’s convenient to have your browser save your passwords, they tend to do a lousy job of safeguarding your passwords, credit card numbers and personal details, such as your name and address.
Let’s take Google Chrome, for example. Unlike most dedicated password managers, Chrome doesn’t use a primary password to encrypt all your credentials. (Note that some browsers do use one, and are therefore more secure, though you’ll still need to trust your browser provider.) This makes your Chrome-stored passwords relatively weak to “local” attacks. For example, if someone gets hold of—or guesses—your Windows password, they can then see all the logins stored in your browser’s password manager.
Another consideration to note is that the security of all your accounts is tied to your browser account’s security. Let’s say you use the sync option to make your credentials available on all your devices. This means that logins are stored in the cloud and, though encrypted, if someone manages to hack into your browser account, they will gain access to all your logins.
What can you do to help ensure your online profiles are kept safe without spending hours managing a complex list of passwords? Here are some easy ways to lock down your digital life without sacrificing convenience:
A password manager is a software application that stores your passwords and other sensitive information. You can install it on computers or mobile devices and store all passwords in an encrypted file (or database). The best option is to use a password manager like McAfee True Key to store and create strong, random passwords for each site you visit. You’ll have one primary password that grants access to the rest of them—ideally, a long and random passphrase that you can remember. Once everything is set up, it should be seamless. As you log in to new sites, the password manager will offer to save your credentials for later use.
One of the best ways to protect your accounts against unauthorized access is to turn on two-factor authentication for every site that offers it. Using two-factor authentication means a site will prompt you for a unique security code, in addition to your password, whenever you log in to an account for which you have enabled this feature.
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring another form of identification after you enter your username and password. Some services send a temporary passcode over a text message. Others require the user to approve login attempts from new devices using an app. If someone steals your device or gains access to your account details, they’re out of luck unless they also have access to this second piece of information. Two-factor authentication is available on a wide range of websites and can help keep your accounts safe from would-be hackers, so you should always use it when available.
A VPN, or virtual private network, encrypts your data and masks your online behavior from snooping third parties. When you go to a website, your computer connects to the server where the site is hosted, and that website can see a certain amount of data about you and your computer. With a VPN, you connect to a private server first, which scrambles your data and makes it more difficult for digital eavesdroppers to track what you’re doing online.
VPNs can provide users with greater peace of mind when on the go. Say you’re traveling on a business trip and need to connect to the Wi-Fi network provided by your hotel. Shifty characters often lurk on unprotected, free networks (such as those provided by hotels, coffee shops, airports, etc.) to lift PII from people handling sensitive emails, making banking transactions, or shopping online. encrypts your online activity with bank-grade encryption to protect your data from prying eyes. With a premium paid plan, you can protect up to five devices at once and enjoy unlimited data protection.
With your growing number of accounts all requiring passwords—emails, social media profiles, online banking—it’s no wonder that people tend to reuse passwords across multiple sites. This may be convenient, but it creates significant security risks if a suspicious actor manages to obtain one of your passwords and attempts to use it elsewhere. That’s why having strong passwords matters.
Do yourself a favor and opt for a dedicated password manager that will auto-save and store your credentials for you, so you only have one password to remember. Who says security and simplicity can’t coexist?
The post This World Password Day, Here’s How a Password Manager Can Simplify Your Life appeared first on McAfee Blog.
As an avid internet surfer, you’ve most likely heard of cookies. No, we’re not talking about the ones filled with chocolate chips. We’re talking about the ones that allow you to log in to your favorite websites. Cookies may impact your online security, so check out these tips to manage them and keep your online accounts safe.
Ever wonder how a website saves the items you placed in your shopping cart last week, even though you closed the tab before making the purchase? This is made possible by cookies. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a cookie is information saved by your web browser. When you visit a website, the site may place a cookie on your web browser so it can recognize your device in the future. If you return to that site later, it can read that cookie to remember you from your last visit, keeping track of your activities over time.1
Cookies come in either the first-party or third-party variety. There’s no difference between the two in how they function, but rather in where and how you encountered them. First-party cookies belong to sites you visited first-hand in your browser. Third-party cookies, or “tracking cookies,” generally come from third-party advertising websites.
Although cookies generally function the same, there are technically two different types of cookies. Magic cookies refer to packets of information that are sent and received without changes. Historically, this would be used to log in to a computer database system, such as an internal business network. This concept predates the modern cookie we use today.
HTTP cookies are a repurposed version of the magic cookie built for internet browsing and managing online experiences. HTTP cookies help web developers give you more personalized, convenient website experiences. They allow sites to remember you, your website logins, and shopping carts so you can pick back up where you left off from your last visit. However, cybercriminals can manipulate HTTP cookies to spy on your online activity and steal your personal information.
Cookie hijacking (also known as session hijacking) is typically initiated when a cybercriminal sends you a fake login page. If you click the fake link, the thief can steal the cookie and capture anything you type while on the fraudulent website. Like a phishing attack, cookie hijacking allows a cybercriminal to steal personal information like usernames, passwords, and other important data held within the cookie. If you enter your information while on the fake website, the criminal can then put that cookie in their browser and impersonate you online. They may even change your credentials, locking you out of your account.
Sometimes, criminals initiate cookie hijacking attacks without a fake link. If you’re browsing on an unsecured, public Wi-Fi connection, hackers can easily steal your data that’s traveling through the connection. This can happen even if the site is secure and your username and password are encrypted.
Because the data in cookies doesn’t change, cookies themselves aren’t harmful. They can’t infect computers with viruses or malware. But if your cookies are hijacked as part of a cyberattack, a criminal could gain access to your browsing history and use cookies as the key to enter your locked accounts. For example, a hacker may steal your identity or confidential company information, purchase items in your online shopping carts, or loot your bank account.
Preventing cookie hijacking attacks can allow you to browse the internet with greater peace of mind. Follow these tips to not only safeguard your personal information but to also enhance your browsing experience:
Make it a habit to clear your cookie cache regularly to prevent cookie overload, which could slow your search speeds. Also, almost every browser has the option to enable/disable cookies on your computer. So if you don’t want them at all, your browser’s support section can walk you through how to disable them.
Although it’s convenient to not have to re-type your credentials into a website you frequently visit, autofill features could make it easier for a criminal to extract your data with cookie hijacking. Plus, autofill is risky if your physical device falls into the wrong hands. To browse more securely without having to constantly reenter your passwords, use a password manager like McAfee True Key. True Key makes it so you only have to remember one master password, and it encrypts the rest in a vault protected by one of the most secure encryption algorithms available.
Strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts, updated regularly, offer ample protection against hackers. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds yet another layer of security by double-checking your identity beyond your username and password, usually with a texted or emailed code. When your accounts offer MFA, always opt in.
Criminals can hijack your cookies if you’re browsing on an unsecured, public Wi-Fi connection. To prevent a criminal from swiping your data, use a virtual private network (VPN), a service that protects your data and privacy online. A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel that makes you anonymous by masking your IP address while connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots. This is a great way to shield your information from online spies while you’re banking, shopping, or handling any kind of sensitive information online.
McAfee LiveSafe is an antivirus solution that protects your computer and mobile devices from suspicious web cookies by:
The post What Are Browser Cookies and How Do I Manage Them? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The humble internet browser. Dutifully taking you the places you want to go online, whether that’s the bank, the store, the movies, or even to work. All the more reason to make sure your browser gets every last bit of protection it can.
It’s easy to fire up your browser without a second thought. Arguably, it’s one of the first things many of us do when we hop on our computers. And because it’s often our literal window into important tasks like managing our finances, making payments, and so forth, hackers will absolutely target browsers in order to conduct their attacks. Whether it’s through vulnerabilities in the code that runs the browser, injecting malicious code into a browser session or any one of several other attack vectors, hackers will try to find a way to compromise computers via the browser.
What’s one of the best ways to keep your browser safe? In a word, update. By updating your browser, you’ll get the latest in features and functionality in addition to security fixes that can keep you safer out there.
Let’s take a closer look at what a safer browser is all about, how to update yours, and check out some additional things you can do to stay safer still.
Just as long as there have been browsers, there have been security vulnerabilities and issues. Among the first documented cases, one of the most noteworthy goes back to 1995 when researchers at the University of California, Berkeley uncovered a security issue with the way the Netscape browser handled online payments. Today, news of potential browser exploits and follow-on security measures to remedy them still make the headlines all across several types of popular browsers.
The reality of the issue is that browsers, humble as they may seem to us, are complex applications made up of myriad smaller applications to handle all manner of tasks that create your overall web browsing experience. And where there’s code, there’s room for error. Errors that hackers will look to exploit until an update comes along and fixes them.
Adding further functionality to your browser, and potentially further opportunities for hackers, are browser plug-ins and extensions. These are small apps that give your browser additional capabilities, like opening and editing documents, blocking ads, finding coupons, and even playing tabletop role-playing games in a browser as well. In short, there are thousands of them, often available in the various stores run by different browser developers.
Likewise, browser plug-ins and extensions can be prone to security issues just like the browser they’re installed in. Errors in their code may lead to exploits that hackers can take advantage of. Further, not all plug-ins and extensions are safe and secure to use. It’s not uncommon for malicious ones to turn up on third-party sites that steal user information, introduce malware, or that end up serving ads on a person’s computer, just to name a few of the nasty things they can do. Even official browser stores have had malicious plug-ins and extensions slip onto their shelves.
Lastly, even seemingly legitimate plug-ins and extensions can introduce privacy issues. Given that they’re on your browser and have been granted permissions to work with it, they could be collecting data—data which the developer may use, share, or resell. And it may be tough to know exactly what’s being collected and what’s being done with it. Yet like many smartphone app stores, browser stores are including links to developer privacy statements on the download page for the plug-ins and extensions they offer, giving people more insight into how their data is used. However, sometimes plug-ins and extensions get sold from one company to another where they not only change owners but privacy policies as well. In other words, that plug-in or extension on your computer may get sold to another company without your knowledge and subsequently decide to use your data in an entirely new way.
Given this landscape, there’s a clear case for updating your browser regularly, along with your plug-ins and extensions as well. Moreover, you might want to take a look at what plug-ins and extensions you’re running as well to ensure they’re secure and that they’re something you actually have use for.
Let’s take a look at how you can do all that.
Set up your browser to update automatically. This is relatively straightforward, and browser developers have pages that show you how it’s done. For example, sampling a few of the browsers out there:
As for updating your extensions, the browser developers have put together quick guides to help you what that too. The good news is that when you update your browser, your browser typically updates its associated plug-ins and extensions as well. However, note that your browser’s update cycle may not be in sync with the update cycle for your various plug-ins and extensions, so you may want to go in and update them on their own. These guides can help:
<h2>Take a look at your browser extensions—and see if you want them in the first place
What extensions am I even running? Now that’s a great question. And it’s not too tough to get the answer. In short, your browser’s menu will have an option that will give you an overview of what you have installed and which ones are enabled for use. Once more, each browser developer has their own way of going about this:
This is a good opportunity to give your extensions a hard look. Are they something you use? Are they something you want? Who developed that extension? What might they be doing with my data? Answering these questions may take a little work on your part—like searching for news, information, or reviews about the various extensions you have installed. If you don’t like what your research turns up, you can simply uninstall the extension in question.
A good general rule is this—the fewer apps and extensions you have, the fewer you have to update. Likewise, that’s ultimately fewer lines of code that may turn up a possible exploit. If it’s something you’re not using, consider getting rid of it.
<h2>Make your browser safer with web protection
Many browser-based attacks find their way to you through sketchy websites and downloads. Even ads that look legit but are not. As said before, hackers will try and find a way. One tool you can use to beat them at their game is browser protection, which helps prevent you from making that one wrong click that leads to malware.
In our case, we offer McAfee WebAdvisor, a lightweight app that helps keep you safe from threats while you browse and search the web. Specifically, it includes three types of protection that can help steer you clear of those sketchy websites and downloads.
It’s a free download, and it’s also included with our comprehensive online protection software. Either way, this provides you with yet another line of defense when it comes to browser-based attacks.
That’s the big reason to update right there. Updates give you one more way to prevent attacks by fixing known security issues. It’s true for your operating systems, your apps, your games, what have you. All of them rely on sometimes complex code, code which can sprout exploits, ones that hackers will use. Count your browser in that mix as well. Updating your browser, plus its plug-ins and extensions will help keep you safer online.
The post The Big Reason Why You Should Update Your Browser (and How to Do It) appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Introduction Browsers have become an inherent part of our virtual life and we all make use of browsers for surfing the internet in some or the other way. Also, browsers can be used not only for surfing, we can make use of browsers for navigating through the file system of the OS. You might have […]
The post Browser Forensics: Google Chrome appeared first on Infosec Resources.
Introduction Browsers have become an inherent part of our virtual life and we all make use of browsers for surfing the internet in some or the other way. Also, browsers can be used not only for surfing, we can make use of browsers for navigating through the file system of the OS. You might have […]
The post Browser Forensics: Firefox appeared first on Infosec Resources.
Introduction Browsers have become an inherent part of our virtual life and we all make use of browsers for surfing the internet in some or the other way. Also, browsers can be used not only for surfing, we can make use of browsers for navigating through the file system of the OS. You might have […]
The post Browser Forensics: IE 11 appeared first on Infosec Resources.
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