TECH

What can we do to make the Internet safer? The responsibility belongs to everyone
There is still a lot of ignorance and indifference to the constant risks and threats to online security, but a more thoughtful surfer may feel overwhelmed by all the news, statistics, trends and messages that show that you are not safe online, and that you probably will never be.
Not a day goes by that no new attacks, vulnerabilities and data theft are known, and the numbers are overwhelming, always in the order of millions of data compromised, disclosed or sold to those who pay the most. These are email addresses, passwords, but also credit card numbers and other bank information. Malware, phishing, sextortion, and botnets are just a few of the threats, but identity theft, fake profile schemes and pressures and bullying are also part of the dangers.
Today the day is dedicated to security awareness, with Safer Internet Day, but in fact security has to be an everyday practice, and it is applied at all ages, in all electronic equipment that we use and with practices that extend across all platforms.
Not only are personal computers, let alone only those with Windows operating system, keeping the Mac and Linux unharmed as they have long been thought. Smartphones and tablets are increasingly appealing to hackers who come in these devices a way to access information and personal data, gaining financial advantages or a gateway to other accounts. But televisions, surveillance cameras, routers and other Internet Army of Things (IoT) equipment can also be deployed for these attacks where there are cyber-alertness, threats to privacy, and more obscure purposes such as capturing images for use in pornography and pedophilia. The YouGov study for Google shows that personal data (your address, for example) and bank details (credit card, for example) are what most upset you. In online browsing, the results reveal that 50% of those interviewed have already gone through some phishing e-mail attempts.
And what can we do to protect ourselves from these threats, and especially to protect the most vulnerable users, especially children, seniors and other Internet users with less digital literacy?
The question does not have a single or easy answer, and in fact the appropriate response is a responsibility of all, from large political organizations such as the European Union to initiatives by civil society, business, schools and families. Ultimately each and every one of us.
Isabel Baptista, from the National Center for Cybersecurity, points out that in a business context, technological tools are useful to reduce risks and cybersecurity. "Dissuasive tools reduce attacker motivation, preventive tools or perimeter security reduce the likelihood of successful attacks, redundancy or fault tolerance mechanisms reduce the impact of successful attacks," he explains. In a domestic context, antiviruses reduce the likelihood of infection with a computer virus, and anti-spam systems eliminate a large part of unwanted e-mail messages and also a way of spreading viruses. "However, all these tools are useless without a culture of cybersecurity and correct online behavior on the part of all employees of an organization or citizens. Putting an unknown PEN in our PC is enough to break all barriers existing security ", he warns.
A culture of cybersecurity
Some rules we use in the real world to protect ourselves can apply to the online world. We never leave an open door and when we leave we lock the key, we do not speak with strangers in the street and we do not give our address to anyone. These are just examples of how the principles we teach young people apply offline and online, and are simple to explain.
Creating a culture of cybersecurity also involves thinking before installing an application and giving access to all permissions, or opening an email that promises a business from China or asks for credit card or bank details. Often just be a little suspicious to realize that there is a hoax behind these requests, because even though there are phishing campaigns and well orchestrated attacks, most of the time they are badly written, written in bad Portuguese and with images of the wrong ones. logos of the services.
Young people, doubts and time online
What are the main issues that bother young people online? Cristina Ponte, a researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, studied this subject and through the EU Kids Online questionnaire she realized that it is mainly the risks of content - access to content produced and disseminated in a massive way in the network; contact risks, their participation in online contacts initiated by adults; and conduct risks, which consider the child as a perpetrator or a victim of peer communication.
The researcher points out that the context has changed a lot and that there is increasing pressure to be connected and to expose and present herself conveniently to others by reviewing privacy, monitoring and monitoring concepts. "Digital environments are subject to rapid and continuous change processes, which include the growing role of mobile communication, new technical devices, new services or applications, and new individuals and social environments," he explains. The time that young people spend online is increasingly a concern and the recommendation of the specialists is so that parents and educators calmly discuss the theme, pointing out the risks of overexposure and distraction in relation to other activities, from study to leisure and socialization in the real world, but also set the example themselves, setting hours to "hang up." And of course adults should also avoid exposing themselves and exposing their children to social networks, keeping an eye on signs of cyberbullying or other threats and risks, such as sexting.
Ultimately, regardless of age, there are safety rules, good practices and cyberhygiene that can help keep us safe, contributing to a better Internet and a space where we can let children play safely. And this brings benefits to everyone.
Today is Safer Internet Day, but there is still a lot of ignorance and indifference about the risks and threats that are lurking during online browsing. Sapo