Detailed tips against attacks from the Internet (attention: long! for bookworms only!)

Short tips

  • Make sure that you always have the latest security updates from the manufacturer installed for the operating system and all installed programs, especially Internet browsers, Office, Flash Player, Adobe Reader. The best way to do this is to use the “Automatic Updates” function available in most programs.
  • Update your virus protection program regularly, and the signature databases at least daily. It is best to use the built-in function “Automatic Updates”. As a member of the TU Braunschweig you can use the provided program: https://doku.rz.tu-bs.de/doku.php?id=software:sophos and https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/it/downloads/software
  • Use the personal firewall included in your operating system – and be careful which accesses you then allow on request. The personal firewall protects to a certain extent against attacks from outside and also checks (unless you manually enable it or switch off the check!) the data that may be sent unnoticed by your computer.
  • Only use a user account with limited rights to access the Internet, be it via browser, e-mail or otherwise – never use an account with administrator rights! How to create a simple user account without administrator rights is explained here: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux Ubuntu
  • Remain suspicious and refrain from disclosing personal information. Think before clicking a link, opening an attachment, or filling out a form. If in doubt, when sending an e-mail, ask by phone whether the sender of the e-mail is authentic. If possible, only download software directly from the manufacturer’s website or from trusted distributors such as https://www.heise.de/download/

Supplementary tips

  • Use a modern browser that uses modern security technologies, such as a sandbox. Chrome, for example, consistently implements this concept. In addition, the browser should have a filter that warns you of dangerous pages before you actually visit the page (URL Check). Examples are the Smart Screen Filter in Internet Explorer and the phishing and malware protection in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. However, these filters can sometimes “phone home”, i.e. report the addresses to be checked to the manufacturer. Also, use only as few plugins as really necessary.
    Some plugins, however, are helpful for safer surfing: https://www.secuso.informatik.tu-darmstadt.de/de/secuso/ The German Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, BSI) has compiled further recommendations for the safe configuration of your browser: https://www.bsi-fuer-buerger.de/BSIFB/DE/Empfehlungen/EinrichtungSoftware/EinrichtungBrowser/derbrowser_node.html
  • Use strong passwords. Use an uniqe, secure password for each online service you use – such as e-mail, online stores, online banking, forums, social networks – and change these passwords regularly. You should change preset passwords from a manufacturer or provider immediately. The German Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, BSI) has provided assistance for a secure password: https://www.bsi-fuer-buerger.de/BSIFB/DE/Empfehlungen/Passwoerter/passwoerter_node.html. Some online demonstration pages give you a very rough impression of the security of a password, for example here: https://password.kaspersky.com/de/.
  • Make sure that you only use encrypted connections to transfer personal data, for example, when banking online, shopping or entering a password. Every reputable online service offers encryption, usually by using the secure communication protocol “HTTPS“. You can recognize this by the Internet address, which begins with “https:” instead of “http:” when encryption is used. Your browser also displays a small lock symbol.
  • Clean up! You should uninstall programs that are not needed. What is not on your computer at all, can not be attacked or cause other errors.
  • Back up your data! Make backup copies and backups of your data, in the simplest case on an external hard disk, which must not be permanently connected as a “drive”. Institutes and facilities of the TU Braunschweig should use the backup and archive service offered by the GITZ (service catalog item 3103).
  • Only use encrypted WLANs (at least WPA2 as standard, under no circumstances unencrypted or WEP) If you have a WLAN (“Wireless LAN”, wireless network) How to set up a secure WLAN at home is explained by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) here: https://www.bsi-fuer-buerger.de/BSIFB/DE/Empfehlungen/EinrichtungWLAN-LAN/EinrichtungLAN-WLAN_node.html – on the grounds of the TU Braunschweig, members of the TU can use the WLAN “eduroam” provided by the GITZ: http://blogs.tu-braunschweig.de/it/dienstleistungskatalog/11-netzbasisdienste/1106-zugang-zum-tubsnet-über-wlan/
  • A possibility of examining the safety status of your computer offers the initiative botfrei of the eco federation: https://www.check-and-secure.com/start/

Further information

See also https://www.bsi-fuer-buerger.de/BSIFB/DE/Service/Checklisten/Massnahmen_gegen_Internetangriffe.html