Tag Archive for: practices

3 Best Practices For Crypto Security

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The idea of bitcoinBTC
 self-custody has become extremely popular due to an overall drop in trust surrounding crypto exchanges. With self-custody, individuals maintain total control over the private keys used to access their crypto, rather than allowing a custodian third party (e.g., exchange platforms or online digital wallet services). With $3.8B lost to crypto hacks in 2022, users want to feel more secure than ever.

However, moving cryptocurrency from trading platforms and out of connected wallets does not automatically mean your assets are safe and secure. Bitcoin custody is more complicated than the seemingly binary “online or offline” storage.

“Crypto security is a three-step dance”, told me Aly Madhavji from Blockchain Founders Fund First. “First, educate yourself on digital assets and blockchain. Second, encrypt; treat your recovery keys like a secret treasure, noted offline and stored securely. Evaluate wallet providers meticulously, considering their track record, user feedback, transparency, and security protocols. Use cold wallets for bulk storage, hot wallets for everyday transactions. Finally, be vigilant; employ multi-factor authentication. Your assets’ security is as strong as your weakest protection.”

Before you commit to one option or another, here are three tips that can help you make the most secure choices for your cryptocurrency holdings.

Choose The Right Wallet For Your Level Of Expertise

In general, you can choose custodial or non-custodial wallets for your bitcoin or other digital assets and cryptocurrencies. Custodial means your wallet management is in the hands of a trusted third party; non-custodial means you’re solely responsible for your wallet’s security. Both have pros and cons, but it’s crucial to be honest with yourself when deciding how to handle your crypto.

If you are new to crypto, you want to seek assistance from a verified company or a simpler, hands-off way to manage your digital currency. Your money is not necessarily inherently less safe this way, despite the lower levels…

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Best Practices for Implementation and Management

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SSL/TLS Encryption: Best Practices for Implementation and Management

SSL/TLS encryption is a critical component of internet security, providing a secure communication channel between web browsers and servers. It ensures that sensitive data, such as login credentials, credit card information, and personal details, are protected from eavesdropping, tampering, and forgery. As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is essential for organizations to implement and manage SSL/TLS encryption effectively. This article outlines the best practices for SSL/TLS encryption implementation and management, helping organizations to safeguard their online presence and protect their users’ data.

First and foremost, organizations should ensure that they are using the latest version of SSL/TLS protocols. Older versions, such as SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, and TLS 1.0, have known vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. Upgrading to the most recent version, TLS 1.3, offers significant security improvements, including stronger encryption algorithms, faster connection times, and enhanced privacy. Additionally, it is important to disable any outdated protocols on web servers to prevent their use in potential downgrade attacks.

When configuring SSL/TLS encryption, organizations should prioritize the use of strong cipher suites. A cipher suite is a combination of encryption algorithms that determine the security properties of an SSL/TLS connection. The choice of cipher suites can have a significant impact on the security and performance of encrypted communications. Organizations should avoid using weak or outdated cipher suites, such as those that rely on the RC4 stream cipher or the SHA-1 hash function, as these have been deemed insecure by industry experts. Instead, they should opt for modern cipher suites that utilize robust encryption algorithms, such as AES-GCM and ChaCha20-Poly1305, and secure hash functions, like SHA-256 or SHA-384.

Another crucial aspect of SSL/TLS encryption management is the proper handling of digital certificates. Digital certificates are electronic documents that bind a public key to an entity’s identity, enabling secure communication between parties. Organizations should…

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8 best practices for securing your Mac from hackers in 2023

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Best practices for securing your Mac against potential hacks and security vulnerabilities include enabling the firewall, using strong passwords and encryption, and enabling Lockdown Mode.

Laptop and smartphone with locked and unlocked padlock
Image: Daniel Beckemeier/Adobe Stock

As the popularity of Macs grows so does the interest of hackers who look for vulnerabilities to exploit. Fortunately, there are best practices you can follow to secure your Mac and protect yourself against hack attempts.

SEE: Here’s how to secure your Mac’s data via the Full Disk Access settings.

In this article, we’ll cover some of the ways to protect yourself and show you how to make your Mac as secure as possible against hackers and those who would try to collect your data.

Jump to:

1. Keep your software updated

One of the most important steps you can take to secure your Mac is to keep your software updated (Figure A). Apple releases security updates regularly to patch vulnerabilities hackers can exploit. Keeping your software updated ensures you have the latest security patches and protections against emerging threats.

Figure A

Keeping your Mac up to date is your first line of defense against hackers.
Keeping your Mac up to date is your first line of defense against hackers.

Updating your Mac is as easy as doing the following:

  1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen.
  2. Select System Settings.
  3. Select General | Software Update, and follow the prompts to update any software.

Software is also distributed through the Mac App Store. To update software that has been purchased or downloaded from the App Store:

  1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen.
  2. Select App Store.
  3. Select Updates, then Update All.

2. Enable the firewall

The Firewall is a built-in security feature of macOS that blocks unauthorized incoming network traffic, and it is a great tool to enable if your Mac is regularly on Wi-Fi or Ethernet networks you don’t personally control. It helps protect your Mac from hackers trying to access your computer remotely or on the same local area network.

To enable the Firewall, go to System Settings | Network | Firewall, and turn it on. This will cause certain services and ports to become unavailable when it’s turned on and further protect from unwanted…

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Belt and braces: Safe Internet practices for businesses

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Man working in an office at a computer. — Photo: © Tim Sandle

Social media has been at the forefront of our lives for decades, influencing our daily routines and shaping how we live our lives.  There were approximately 4.48 billion people worldwide being active on social media last year.

While there are benefits from sing social media, there are also negative implications for users. From leaking private data, online hacking, cyberbullying, and contributing to low mental health and self-esteem, these issues are seemingly becoming more common.

For Safer Internet Day, the digital resource provider Virtual College by Netex provides an assessment from cybercrime and Internet safety expert, Stuart Hyde QPM focusing on social media apps.

Hyde explains in a statement to Digital Journal: “It’s easier to lose a sense of security and safety online than in the physical world. Online, it’s not easy to spot how safe you are. You can become at risk with any app – big or small, so you need to have a good idea of where your information is at all times.”

Hyde highlights the dangers associated with particular types of social media applications, and how the ways in which a user can inadvertently cause potential harm. For this he selects three examples.

BeReal

BeReal is classed as one of the fastest-growing social media apps in the world. The social media app is centered around individuals posting unfiltered photos of their activities and themselves once each day, with a front-facing camera and back-facing camera shot taken simultaneously.

These images can be shared with a group of friends, whom a user can select on the platform to choose who can view and react to their daily images. Hence ‘Being Real’ can have serious consequences.

For example, if a user receives the random notification to ‘Be Real’ while at work, they may find themselves taking pictures of private work information from their employer or clients without realizing it, such as on their computer screen.

Strava and Fitness Tracking Apps

With more than 100 million users recorded in May of 2022, Strava has arguably become one of the public’s most popular and trusted platforms for tracking runs, cycle rides, and…

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