The security and protection of the computer, tablet and smartphone is increasingly important, as it is in these devices where we keep our personal data and perform various delicate tasks, such as online purchases/payments, accessing a bank account or moving Bitcoins. By the way, with Bitcoin and all the technology involved, we can be our own bank.
Why is security important?First of all, it involves our money, and nobody wants to be robbed.
Traditional banks and financial systems, 24 hours/7 days a week, people and security platforms, urgently monitor their systems, to combat the attacks they may face. Consulting firm
Deloitte estimates that financial institutions spend an average of 0.3% of revenue and 10% of their annual IT budget on cybersecurity. But according to
Carnegie’s Cyber Policy Initiative timeline, over the past 13 years there have been more than 200 notable attacks. This shows that despite all this investment, insiders continue to occur where millions of dollars are stolen.
In view of this scenario, exchanges, cloud wallets and services related to cryptocurrencies are extremely important, as well as online stores, payment services, email services, bank sites or other sites, where confidential personal information is introduced, must use protocols for security to prevent attacks.
What security protocols are these?Since attacking financial systems, traditional or digital (including cryptocurrency), directly is more complex, difficult and with a lower success rate. Attackers prefer to attack the end user and/or the connections made between the client-system.
Therefore, the Secure Sockets Layer - SSL security protocol is commonly used. Basically this protocol serves to protect the data between the user and the website/service. The protocol creates an encrypted tunnel between the computer and the server, making it difficult to steal information that passes through that tunnel. This allows payment data (for example) to be more secure against theft or manipulation by third parties.
How to know if a website/service uses these protocols?These protocols are activated automatically, whenever a site/service has it, they do not need user intervention. Different internet browsers mark websites that use security protocols with a "lock" next to the website address or at the bottom of the window. By clicking on this "lock" you will be able to obtain information about the protocol being used. Also, for sites that use security protocols, the beginning of the address is written by "https://".
Sites that use SSL also have security certificates, which allows you to prove that the URL (address) you are accessing is really from the company/service, this helps to understand if the site we are accessing really belongs to who it claims to be. An invalid certificate may indicate that the website is not genuine or that your internet connection may be corrupt. These certificates are purchased from independent companies dedicated to computer security, and have an expiration date. In order to have this certificate, normally the website must have SSL.
There are several companies that offer this type of certificate, the best known being:
Comodo SSL |
DigiCert |
GeoTrust |
ThawteThe certificates of these companies are paid, and usually those recommended for sites/services that involve money movements. For simpler sites, free certificates can be used, which also have a good layer of security, with the ones from the
Let's Encrypt.
An exampleTake, for example, one of the oldest cryptocurrency exchange services on the market: Coinbase.
Padlock at the top and https at the address.
By clicking on the padlock, information about the protocols and certificates used appears.
Clicking on "Certificate" will open a window with more details.Are all sites that don't use this type of protocol insecure?Not exactly. As mentioned, not all sites/services ask for sensitive information. If a website that does not use this type of protocols or certificates does not request confidential information from the visitor, it is not a problem. Even so, I recommend using the free certificates, which always provide an extra grain of security.
On the other hand, sites where you can make payments, make online purchases, bank sites or services linked to cryptocurrencies, should use security protocols and certificates from independent companies that provide high levels of security, to ensure greater security in the exchange of information between the user.
SummaryWhen visiting a website, where you have to enter sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, access credentials to bank websites or other payment systems, you must make sure that these security requirements are met, otherwise it is recommended not to do so. these tasks for security reasons.
Always keep in mind that these security protocols only serve to protect the communication between you and the website/service. Therefore, try to keep your PC safe and secure, with responsible internet browsing.
