On average, hackers infiltrate unsuspecting users' computers every 39 seconds, and in America alone, a third of all Americans will be hacked every year, with the numbers growing [3] . Now more than ever, people are using the internet for basic needs, but this introduces a lot more vulnerability and leaves more people prone to identity theft, legal problems, and loss of other personal information. The specific issues connect through a variety of things which include but are not limited to:
With more people gaining access to the internet, the more unreliable personal security is as more people have the opportunity to gain this information. To what extent does personal security protection work?
Today's websites keep information you searched and keeps records of it to offer you a more personalized experience,
more personalized ads and to offer you more information involving a certain topic. An example using Google comes from Bruce Schneier:
Websites have unbelievable memory to give more topics and links you find an interest in, but this also has a downside. Using this information is a perfect opportunity for businesses to try and convince you to purchase a product, get an app, or sign up for a newsletter, and all of these could be asking for more personal information when you sign up or log in [1] . This makes us very vulnerable to hackers as they can hack any number of websites and have access to personal information such as our age, email, and other personal information, which hackers can use to leak private information or create damage [1] .
Websites and smartphones use cookies to create a more personalized experience for users. Cookies store a certain amount of information regarding a certain user or website, and are now required to notify users that they are collecting cookies [1] . Now more apps want access to everything on your phone just for you to play a game; contacts, email, notifications, access to storage, etc [1] . This may not appear dangerous, but if someone were to gain access to this information through just one app, a large amount of your personal information is now available to someone.
You are also tracked online for similar purposes. Trackers keep a record of your search history and track online activities to paint a picture of your interests to give you relevant ads, which is a breach of online privacy policy and makes you public property [2] . This is mostly used for advertisement purposes only, but sometimes this information is used to carry out unauthorized actions.
To gain access to certain services online, personal information is needed. This information is often stored for various purposes, and most of the time it is not encrypted and can be easily accessed and lead to serious consequences [2] . With e-banking and e-business becoming more prominent, it has multiplied the risks associated with online privacy. By sharing your bank details and crucial files on the internet, you are paving ways for burglars and making yourself vulnerable to cybercriminals [2] .
To understand how reliable a firewall is, you need to understand what they do and how they work.
Firewalls are a hardware or software used to prevent unauthorized access to your computer network [3] . Firewalls are used for both personal and business use to filter information going in and out of your computer and blocks access if anything suspicious is caught [3] . They block specific programs from accessing the internet if the activity is deemed too risky [3] . Firewalls can also be used as proxy servers, but companies mostly use this feature, so most likely individuals won't use this feature or worry about it [3] . More computers are in need of firewalls to protect sensitive data. But is a firewall enough?
Firewalls protect your private information being stolen by cybercriminals, and issues that rise with cybercriminals include but are not limited to:
Firewalls do have pros and cons, which are listed below.
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Check the settings and adjust the intensity of the firewall filters to allow secure website access, but not leave you vulnerable to theft. Disable too many features, and you'll be more vulnerable to attacks. Set the filter intensity too high, and you'll run into issues with improperly blocked content [3] . Settings can also be changed to select whether a network is private or public (private being home or work connections, public being coffee shop networks and other public spaces).
If you want full protection and the ability to remove threats, you will need the help of an antivirus in many cases. An antivirus serves to remove a virus that has already breached your computer, while a firewall is a protective measure against attacks. As all firewalls are not created equal, some questions to ask are:
Based on these questions, you can determine the type of firewall you want.
There is no guarantee of 100% protection, but there are some things you can do to limit what hackers have access to:
To check your answers click here.