Netiquette Rules: Definition and 10 Basic Rules To Dramatically Improve your Safety [

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These basic cybersecurity guidelines will keep you safe in most situations

What is netiquette, and how do we define it.

Before we talk about netiquette rules we need to determine its definition.
 

Netiquette

Shorthand for network etiquette, and is the set of rules that determines how to properly communicate and browse the web.

One important part of netiquette concerns your online safety. By following these basic rules and tips you will avoid most online threats such as phishing attempts, malware infections and more. Why is this important for us? Given the rise of cybercriminal activity in recent years, the need to stay safe on the Internet has never been more pronounced. Most people believe all they need to be secure online is to have an antivirus program and do frequent back-ups, but the truth is, cybercriminals know lot of ways around these. What really keeps you safe is the ability to recognize online threats and how to avoid them, and this is why netiquette is so important. A study from University of Maryland University College analyzed users’ knowledge on cyber-security and came up with a few interesting conclusions:

• the more you know about cybersecurity, the likelier you are to adopt online safety measures;
  
• cybersecurity training and education will make you more open to new online safety methods.
  

A  2015 study conducted by PwC found that most corporate security breaches weren’t caused by malicious hackers or attacks by nation states, but by their own employees, both current and former. In addition, insider threats are on the rise, as reflected in the finding of this ENISA study. Because of this, it’s safe to assume they didn’t understand the basic netiquette rules. You can find tools to keep you secure, but ultimately, the best weapons are the ones you don’t use.

Netiquette is important, so here are the 10 best internet safety tips and netiquette rules you need to be aware of when online.

1. Keep your software/apps updated and delete the ones you don’t use.

Developers and cybercriminals are almost always caught in a cat and mouse game, where cybercriminals search for exploits and developers rush to patch them before too much damage is done. Most of the times, vulnerabilities are quickly updated, but the real issue is that most users will still use an outdated version and will be vulnerable to the exploit. Keeping your software up-to-date will go a long way into keeping you safe. But an equally important step is to remove software and apps you no longer use. Many of these programs still communicate in the background with various servers, and in case of a breach, this data might fall into the wrong hands.

2. Be careful when dealing with emails from unknown sources

Have you received an email from an unknown source? Do you frequently receive -mails from people you don’t know? Just as in real life, an important rule to stay safe on the internet is to be suspicious of strangers. First, don’t trust emails from people you never met, especially those that ask you to click a link, open an attachment or send a file to the sender. It’s pretty easy to spot phishing emails. What gives most of the away is the urgency with which they ask you to do something, either because your account may be compromised or your online purchase may have encountered some issues you need to sort. To fool the potential victims, the latest trend in e-crime is to deploy spear phishing attacks, where emails appear to come from well-known individuals or banking authority. But in order for a spear phishing attack to be successful, it needs to appear as genuine and believable. So they launch an elaborate identity theft operation to target and steal your sensitive information. So when you do get a phishing email, ignore it completely and:

• don’t reply to the e-mail
  
• don’t click the (malicious) attachment
  
• don’t click the dangerous links in the e-mail that could download malware on the system
  

3. Don’t click that link or online ad

You found a pretty cool link on the Internet and it keeps tempting you to click it. But the source of the link (website or email) seems fishy. You ask yourself: What can the bad guys do to me if I click this link? The answer is simple: a lot of things could go wrong. Just by clicking a link in an email or a pop-up window, you could turn your PC into a botnet slave, allow cybercriminals to inject malware into your device, or expose your personal information. You may think that you are safe from all these dangers because you have a good antivirus product, but nowadays traditional antivirus protection isn’t enough anymore and you need additional weapons in the fight against online dangers.
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