Lock down communications data like a cybersecurity guru
Kaspersky Lab recently shared their methods for safeguarding information-sharing channels. How do your practices stack up?
October 6, 2014
Lock down like a security professional.
How do cybersecurity experts protect their communications from hackers? The Kaspersky Lab global research and analysis team recently shared their methods in a blog post. How do yours stack up against them?
Email
- Use email encryption services for your communications;
- create a strong key to the code of the encryption — the longer, the better; and
- pay attention to metadata (i.e., “From,” “To,” “Subject,” time of mailing). Even if the content of the message is encrypted, this information can be tracked.
Smartphones
- Set up a device passcode;
- install a security solution such as Kaspersky Internet Security for Android;
- always use a secure connection to Wi-Fi; and
- when possible, travel with a disposable phone.
Network browsers
- Install a trusted security solution;
- do not accept cookies, do not allow the execution of JavaScript and do not stay logged into any account;
- turn off an unsecured public Internet or local area network; and
- use a combination of Tor and VPN — VPN encrypts your traffic and Tor provides anonymity.
Instant Messaging
- Use an instant messaging system with off-the-record messaging cryptographic protocol. OTR lets you create a private key, and it encrypts all communications before they are sent. For OTR to be effective, the people you’re talking to need to activate it, as well.
Vicente Diaz, principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, explained why everyday diligence is essential in communications security:
Our digital footprint is likely to last forever, so the moment we drop our guard for any reason, we run the risk of being compromised. The golden rule of cybersecurity is probably to remember that silence is a defensive discipline. The privacy of any message you send is only as good as the recipient’s security measures. But even when you cannot remain silent, you need to know how to remain inconspicuous in the crowd of information online.
