With society becoming more and more dependent on the internet, security on the World Wide Web has become a huge concern among every person who makes use of the cyberspace. Internet security is involves not just browser security as well as network security. The entire focus of providing internet security is to ensure that attacks done through the internet are mitigated if not completely prevented. An insecure online environment can lead to the unauthorized access of information which can lead to identity theft and other security threats. Especially these days when online fraud is at an all-time high the methods for protecting transfer of information has become even more important.

Email Security
Almost every person who knows how to turn on and turn off a computer has an email address. Email has replaced the traditional snail mail as the primary means of communication. Because individuals are relaying sensitive information through email, email security is of paramount importance. Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) ensures confidentiality of messages by proper encryption of the data that is transmitted through emails with the help of various encryption algorithm. This type of email security will protect as well as confirm the identity of the sender, keep the body of the email confidential and also protect the leakage of the body and header of the message.

Firewalls
Just like your house’s physical firewall, an online firewall will control the amount of access that an outside network will have with your own computer. Data traffic between networks can be controlled and even blocked with the help of firewalls. When you set your computer’s firewall, all data whether incoming or outgoing has to pass through that same firewall and only the authorized data are allowed to be transmitted through it. This will allow your computer to hid information which it deems personal.

Email security and firewalls are just two of the measures that various internet service providers can equip their systems with to ensure that their users are protected from the unauthorized access by opportunistic individuals and sketchy software. Because of how long we spend our time online, internet security is a vital need of every computer literate individual. A simple breach in your computer’s online security can lead to you losing your entire identity which includes your whole life’s savings and well-kept reputation by a person who want to perform illegal activities under the guise of your identity.

Henry de Leon loves to share great ideas through his blogs. He also works for Macquarie telecom