Wifi Security and Safe Browsing PDF

NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide SECTION 5:...

NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide SECTION 5: Notes WIFI SECURITY AND SAFE BROWSING In this section, you will learn the following: How to safely use a WiFi network VPN networks Web Exploits Safe Browsing Cookies Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 84 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide WIFI Notes WIFI is a form of wireless connection to the internet. However, like any connection to the internet, it includes some unique threats. These risks include: Using unsecured WIFI connections and Public WIFI Using untrusted hotspots and “Evil Twins” Using default or weak WIFI passwords Risk Factors A big risk factor is that every user within the network who has the correct login details can connect to it. That makes the wireless connection itself highly vulnerable to eavesdropping. Intruders can intercept large amounts of sensitive data sent through the network, such as passwords and emails. Penetrating a WiFi network also benefits hackers allowing them to install malware into the network that can infect all computers on that network. Public WIFI These are the most dangerous type of WiFi networks. Unsecured WiFi connection is a network that doesn’t require a password and doesn’t encrypt the traffic inside it. Most of the time these connections are provided as a service for customers like in an airport terminal. Although many of these networks have been upgraded and now require a password and support encryption, there are still those that remain unsecured. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 85 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide Notes False Hotspots Hotspots are physical locations where people obtain Internet access, typically using Wi-Fi technology. Today almost every computer or smartphone can set up a hotspot. This feature enables many hackers to conduct simple but very harmful cyber-attacks. The most common method used by hackers is to set up a hotspot and make it look legitimate, for example, by naming it “free WiFi” to lure innocent users. Once these users connect to the hotspot, all of the unencrypted data that they send and receive is available to the hacker. Be careful with the networks you choose to connect to. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 86 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide Notes The Evil Twin In this similar, but more targeted method, the hacker sets up a hotspot that mimics the properties of a nearby wireless network to target a specific group of users and lure them to connect to his network instead of the original network. Then, the hacker can intercept information and credentials that are being sent through the network. The hacker can also exploit the connection for redirecting the user's browser requests through contagious websites, thus infecting the users with malicious software. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 87 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide Protecting the WiFi Network Protected or closed WiFi networks require a password, but like Notes an email password, it’s important to ensure you are using a good password. Otherwise unwanted users can enter the network and exploit the connection. Once hackers are in the network they can access unencrypted information and alter router settings. Another form of a Wi-Fi targeted attack is Wi-Fi Jamming which results in a DoS. There are several ways to jam a wireless network. One method is flooding an AP (Access Point), overwhelming the network, and preventing legitimate transmissions from getting through. This form of attack could benefit a hacker who's trying to get users to connect to his false network or a hacker who is working for a business that is jamming its competitors’ Wi-Fi signal. One of the simplest ways to protect yourself online is using the HTTPS protocol. HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. This protocol is used to communicate across the networks in an encrypted way. Just make sure you add https before any website you enter, especially on public WiFi, and you will be a lot safer online. Your router’s Setup Interface password is also something we should be concerned about. The router’s Setup Interface or Admin Interface is where you control your router’s properties such as the name and password for your network. It requires a different password than your Wi-Fi password and, unfortunately, it is usually set to default values. Hacking to the router’s interface can allow hackers to take control over the router and perform malicious activities, such as DNS Hijacking that can redirect innocent users to fake phishing websites. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 88 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide How to Protect Yourself Notes Use password protected WiFi networks. Don’t use easy to crack passwords in your network and make sure you change the default password of the router’s interface. Don’t reveal your password to unwanted users. Make sure you don’t submit sensitive details without encryption. Use other protection mechanisms such as a VPN (next slide). VPN What is a VPN What is a VPN? First, it’s the acronym for Virtual Private Network. This is probably one of the most useful and common methods of securing our information online. VPN is a private, closed and usually encrypted network that works inside other networks such as the Internet. It enables remote users to encrypt data that is sent and received across shared or public networks. It is as if all the computing devices were directly connected to the private network. The motives behind cyber-crimes vary: profit, commercial espionage and politics. Today there is even cyber-terrorism with the main purpose of causing alarm and panic. How does a VPN work? All the other users of a network communicate with the internet using the infrastructure of a VPN server. The entire communication uses a strong encryption that only the users of the VPN can decrypt. The server directs the data to the right users in the network. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 89 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide Notes Why use a VPN? Firstly, it keeps your information safe by using strong encryption that only you and other users of the network can decrypt. Second, it keeps your connection private by directing your browsing and your data through private servers. By doing that no one, except the VPN users, can access the network and see what you’re doing. Additionally, a VPN keeps your identity secret by hiding your IP address behind the VPN servers’ IP address. VPN also allows users to bypass geographical limitations by browsing through servers located in various locations around the world. A good example is users who live outside the United States use a VPN to watch American content on Netflix. Setting up a VPN As you probably don’t have a VPN server in your home, you will need to find another way to connect to a VPN. The most preferred option would be to connect to a VPN provided by your employer or company. It also allows you to communicate with other devices connected to the VPN, like printers and servers in your office. You need to get the VPN’s information from your employer or IT expert to connect to this kind of VPN. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 90 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide Web Exploits Notes Browsers like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Firefox allow us to use essential services such as mailing, research, financial actions, and much more. But web browsers are also one of the most common attack vectors in the cyber-world. Web browser-attacks can be divided into three different categories: User targeted attacks Web application targeted attacks Browser targeted attacks The weakest link in the Chain is human activity. One of the most common and most effective types of Web browser attacks is to exploit the human factor. By deceiving and manipulating innocent users, hackers can persuade users to work against themselves. Probably the best example would be a Web site that convinces users to download files that seem innocent but contain malicious software. Phishing Phishing is another common attack aimed against users that targets the user’s personal data. These kind of attacks will try to persuade users to fill out forms with their personal data (like passwords or credit card details) in order to use them later on. Cross Site Scripting Cross Site Scripting is one of the most known type of attack, a.k.a XSS. This kind of attack mostly exploits web apps that allow users to submit content into the application visible to all Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 91 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide other users, such as guest photos or comments. The attacker Notes can submit content to a web app that contains malicious code. That way, the hacker may cause users to download malware. Cross Site Request Forgery Cross Site Request Forgery is a different type of attack related to Web applications. This attack forces users to execute unwanted actions on a Web app. Like money transfer of submitting information. The malicious script can be planted inside Web sites, links, emails, etc. The attacker needs to plan the attack in a way that the user will execute the malicious script only when logged in to the application exploiting the fact that the user have already logged into the application. Add-ons and Plug-ins Add-ons and Plug-ins are software that run alongside the Web browser that add specific features to the browser. Common add-ons and plugins are Adobe Flash Player or Security Plugins. Experienced hackers can lure users into Web sites that contain malicious code hidden inside the content. This code will tell users they need to download a plugin (for instance if a video isn’t working), which will cause them to download malware. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 92 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide Blacklists There are sites, such as “malwaredomainlist.com” that blacklists Notes infected sites. These tools are partially effective, given that the virus writers know of these sites. So once exposed, they move their malware to a new website. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 93 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide Safe Browsing Notes So now that we are sufficiently scare of every web site that exists, let’s learn how to use the internet in a safe and secure way. And don’t worry, these are simpler than you expect. HTTPS Just like in safe WIFI browsing, the HTTPS protocol symbol in a website means that the HTTP communication protocol used by the site is safe and encrypted with the TSL encryption protocol. Simply ensuring that there’s an HTTPS before the URL (website address) is a big step in the right direction. Cookies Did you ever notice you don’t have to enter your password every time you access your email? Well, you have cookies to thank. Cookies are small, often encrypted text files that are located in browser directories. They are to assist users navigate the web site more efficiently and perform complex functions. This property takes place the next time the user returns to the same Web site and thus the Web site can recognize it. If you’ve been paying attention, you can probably guess what the problem is already. If cookies contain your login information, than they contain a key to infiltrating your accounts and to identity login. The cookies themselves are not malware, but like children, hackers love cookies. Using Cookies Safely Here are a few guidelines for safely using cookies: Customize your browser's cookie settings to suit your needs regarding cookie security. If you don’t mind the use of cookies, and you are the only person using your computer, you may want to set long expiration time frames for storing your personal access information and browsing history. If you share access on your computer, you may want to set your browser to clear private browsing data every time you close your browser. this option lets you access cookie- Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 94 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide based Web sites while deleting any sensitive Notes information after your browsing session. Advances Tools Let’s go over some advanced tools for safe browsing. Some of these are more applicable than others, and you don’t have to use all of them all the time, but they are all good to know. Google Safe Browsing Google Safe Browsing is a blacklist service that provides lists of URLs that contain malware or phishing content. It is connected to Chrome, Safari and Firefox web browsers that use the lists from the Google Safe Browsing service automatically. Google also sends email alerts to Internet service providers regarding threats hosted on their networks. My WOT My WOT, short for “Web Of Trust”, is a website reputation service that helps Internet users know whether to trust a website or not. It collects ratings and reviews for websites and generates a review. It's a browser add-on that automatically checks the rating of every website. AdBlock “AdBlock” is a content filtering and ad blocking extension for Chrome, Safari and Opera web browsers. It allows users to prevent ads from being displayed. Since advertising is one of the most common business models used on the Internet, there are websites that recognize this kind of extension and prevent users from seeing the information they offer until the extension is disabled. Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 95 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide WIFI SECURITY AND SAFE BROWSING QUIZ Notes Answer the following questions: 1. When shopping online, what should be the best practice for submitting your payment details online (such as using credit card details, a PayPal account, etc.)? A. Only submit your payment details on trusted websites using the HTTPS protocol. B. Only submit your payment details on trusted websites, regardless if they use an HTTPS or HTTP protocol. C. Never submit your payment details online. Hackers can intercept the connection and use your information. D. Only submit your payment details via the email address provided in the "Contact Us" section. 2. You have a couple of hours to kill at the airport and you need to use the WiFi connection. Which of the following tools is considered the most secure, while using a public WiFi network? A. Google Incognito B. A complex 10 digit password with capital and lower case, numbers and symbols C. Connecting regularly while checking Wi-Fi security settings D. VPN 3. You realize that your computer is experiencing slow connections after visiting a certain website. Which of the following is a tool that can be used to detect malicious activity in a suspected website? Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 96 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide A. Adblock Notes B. WOT C. Antivirus D. The websites IP 4. In XSS: A. The hacker submits content containing malicious code into the app for other users to load B. The hacker sets up an innocent looking website containing an invisible interconnected page C. Vulnerabilities of the web browser itself and some of its add-ons and plug-ins are being exploited D. The hacker targets the user’s personal data by persuading users to fill out forms containing their personal data 5. What are cookies? A. Text files created by a browser for customization and efficiency purposes B. Fragments of malware that leak through the firewall as it tries to infect your computer C. Leftovers of malware infection that leave their tracks on your hard drive D. Some sort of a virus 6. Clickjacking is a form of: A. Browser-targeted attack B. Cross Site Request Forgery C. Web application-targeted attack D. User-targeted attack Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 97 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1  NICF - Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (SF) Learner’s Guide Notes 7. Cross Site Request Forgery is: A. A clickjacking technique commonly used on social networks B. Executing unwanted actions in a currently authenticated app C. Exploiting vulnerabilities of the web browser itself D. A form of user targeted attack Copyright © 2020 NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd. © Cybint Solutions. All rights reserved Page 98 of 126 LHUB_ver1.1