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PROTECTING YOUR DATA ON INTERNET
Data protection involves safeguarding your data from damage or unauthorised access. It is
always a good practice to maintain and protect your computer by following some precautions
and managing a few computer settings. Some of the important points to safeguard your data
are:
Use Strong Passwords: Create passwords with a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and
special characters to prevent unauthorized access.
Install Antivirus and Firewalls: Antivirus and firewalls block harmful data and alert you to
remove malicious files, protecting your computer and data.
Encrypt Your Data: Encryption converts data into a secure, unreadable form, safeguarding
sensitive information from unauthorized access.
Use Secure Websites: Check for “https://” and a lock symbol to ensure the site is secure,
especially for online transactions.
FIREWALL
A firewall can be either hardware (network security device) or software that filters the network
traffic within a private network. It analyses which traffic should be allowed or restricted based
on a set of predefined rules. Each packet of data, whether incoming or outgoing, is thoroughly
checked before being granted permission to enter the private network.
Think of the firewall like a gatekeeper at your computer’s entry point, which only allows trusted
sources, or IP addresses, to enter your network. Firewalls are not a guarantee for providing a
secure environment to your computer. It protects your computer against malicious traffic and
not against malicious code. It can be used along with antivirus software to strengthen your
computer’s security against malicious code.
Cyber Security 107

