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A Beginners Guide on Cyber-Attack Protection

A Beginners Guide on Cyber-Attack Protection

Cyber-Attacks are a widespread phenomenon in the modern era. If you know more about cyber-attack protection, your chance to face such an online attack becomes far less. During COVID-19, the threat of cyber-attacks increased since people are relying on the virtual world more than ever. Business, trade, communication, and even online education are now depending on the internet. Because of this you may want to know the steps you can take to protect yourself from such an attack.

A cyber-attack is a computer attack carried out by an isolated person or by a group of hackers to block a website or steal data. The hackers steal business data and even your WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, or any social networks’ data. This is why people search for ways to secure such sites.

If you want to know about cyber-attack protection, you need to know the several forms of cyber-attack first.

Several Forms of Cyberattacks

  • The hoax, or hoax, is false information propagated on social networks or by emails that encourage sharing by as many people as possible. Thus, the goal is to clog systems, mailboxes, to degrade the image of a person, organization, or object. Moreover, this misinformation also aims to minimize the impact of real information that matters.
  • A virus is a harmful program. The hacker grafts these harmful programs into software. Coming from web browsing or an external storage drive, it disrupts the operation of the infected device, sometimes causing it to stop working completely.
  • The phishing or phishing, represent 65% of cyber-attacks. It takes the form of fake emails from companies or public institutions. Thus, the goal is to recover your personal and bank details. Be very careful!
  • Spyware is also similar to viruses, it spreads itself via a web browser.
  • Spamming is an automatic sending of advertising messages in bulk. In most cases, the email addresses used are fraudulently collected.
  • Sniffing is a software that intercepts and recovers data. These include usernames and passwords.
  • The denial of service attack exploits flaws in corporate communication protocols. This intrusion consists of making a server unavailable, so that it’s no longer able to host its sites.
  • The locky, the taking of files hostage, is the latest attack. An email with an attachment named “ATTN: Invoice J-XXXXXXX” blocks access to the data and then demands a ransom from the owner.

Cyber-Attack Protection: Protect Yourself

Here is a list of easily applicable recommendations on cyber-attack protection.

  • Use complex and different passwords on each site. Adding combinations to your passwords (uppercase and/or numbers, for example) increases the difficulty of decryption.
  • Make the updates to your software because it will minimize the presence of faults.
  • Back up your data regularly to an external hard disk.
  • Pay attention to the sites visited and the sources of downloads. Also, use the secure HTTPS communication protocol; it is displayed in front of the URLs and allows you to add an encryption key when transferring your data.
  • Beware of the extensions you install because some open access to your personal data.
  • Installing an anti-virus on your computer allows you to identify and erase malware.
  • Installing an anti-spam system on your mailbox allows you to limit the volume of spam or facilitate its treatment.
  • Never use a free VPN. Free VPN’s keep records of your internet activities, and even sometimes sell that information to people and corporations. Also, watch out for unlimited lifetime VPN’s as they can be scams.
  • It is always recommended to use a secured and paid/premium VPN. A VPN never allows hackers to trace you. However, when you are buying a VPN, be sure that they are not keeping logs of your internet activities. Among the premium VPN, Breeze VPN is one of the providers who never keep the history of its users (Internet Activity Logs). Always keep in mind, using an effective VPN service is a great tool for cyber-attack protection.

How a VPN can unlock Netflix and other services content

How a VPN can unlock Netflix and other services content

Doctor Who is one of the world’s most popular and long-running TV shows. It’s been on the air since 1963 and has had nearly a thousand episodes to date.

If you’re an American, you’ll be forgiven if you’ve never seen an episode or perhaps never even heard of it. This iconic sci-fi series is not streaming on Netflix – at least, not in the U.S. It’s currently only available on Netflix UK.

Yes, that means Netflix does have it in their digital catalog. People are streaming it right now. But even though you are a paying Netflix subscriber, you can’t stream it unless you’re in the UK.

And it’s not just Doctor Who. If you live in the States try looking up Friends or Rick and Morty.  There are thousands of other great movies and TV shows that are available in other parts of the world, but not in the U.S. , and vice versa! 

It’s extremely frustrating – but there is a simple way around it.

In this post, we look at why Netflix and other streaming services use “geo-blocks” to restrict access – and how to get around it with a VPN (sometimes referred to as a “Netflix VPN”).

Why does Netflix geo-block its content?

In short, it’s all about the money.

Movie studios and copyright holders want to make sure they’re getting the biggest profits possible from their content. So they sell the rights to different streaming services, networks and companies around the world, for varying amounts.

So even if Netflix wants to stream a show globally, they can’t legally because the rights are held by other entities. If Netflix were to stream it globally anyway, they could face massive fines for breaking licensing agreements.

But let’s not forget that Netflix is looking to maximize its profits too. Netflix will sometimes choose not to pay to license content in some countries if the price tag is too steep or if it sees no upside for paying the price.

So who gets the short end of the stick? You – the user. Even though you pay a monthly subscription fee, you can’t stream everything in Netflix’s library, just because of where you connect to the Internet!

How to get around the geo-block with a ‘Netflix VPN’

The simplest way to get around geo-blocking is by using a VPN (virtual private network). By connecting to the Internet through a VPN, you can unlock restricted content on Netflix and other streaming services.

Here’s how it works.

A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel for connecting to the Internet. Any data that travels through the connection is encrypted and thus completely hidden. So Netflix can’t see what servers you connected to or where you’re located. In fact, not even your Internet Service Provider can see what you’re doing.

If Netflix can’t see where you’re located, it can’t control what content you see. So in effect, it unlocks everything.

Even better, you can download and torrent movies without worrying about your ISP tracking you or penalizing you for exceeding bandwidth caps.

So you can watch as much Doctor Who as you want—or nearly any other content in Netflix’s massive catalog—no matter where you are in the world.

Unlock the full library with Breeze VPN

Use Breeze VPN to unlock geo-blocks on top streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and more. Get Breeze VPN now.

20 Countries with the Highest Internet Censorship

20 Countries with the Highest Internet Censorship

We have given scores, ranging from 0-65,  to every country in our list on the basis of multiple factors, ranging from social media restrictions to bans on certain internet activities like the use of proxy or torrents. The following are the 20 countries that have the highest scores.

North Korea and China (78)

North Korea practices extreme forms of internet censorship, limiting the use of the internet to only foreign travelers and high government officials. The locals have access to only the national intranet service, Kwangmyong, which allows access to a limited number of web services.

China imposes strict restrictions against foreign websites like Google, social media services like Facebook and Instagram, VPNs, VoIP services, and everything in between. To gain a better control on its citizens’ internet activities, China encourages its users to use local alternatives, such as Baidu.

Turkey (65)

In recent years, Turkey has imposed censorships on websites and social media platforms. The country has even banned the use of encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp for their public sector employees.

Russia and United Arab Emirates (56)

Russia has a history of blocking websites and IP addresses as part of its censorship policies. The country also blocks VPN services and proxy tools that offer private browsing to internet users. In 2018, Russia even fined Google for not taking down some blacklisted services.

As of late, the government aims to block Twitter in 30 days unless it removes a particular list of banned content.

The internet in the Middle East is not as censored as that in China or Iran. The country mostly blocks web services that are unethical or immoral in nature, such as gambling, fraud, and nudity. However, UAE has also often blocked messaging apps like WhatsApp because of its end-to-end encryption.

Pakistan (54)

Pakistan continuously blocks content that is either a threat to its national security or is blasphemous in nature. In 2010, Pakistan blocked Facebook temporarily to protest against a blasphemous contest on the social media platform.

On April 16, Pakistan blocked access to social media and google following days of anti-French protests throughout the country by a far-right Islamist pollical party. The sites temporarily blocked by the government include Twitter and Facebook.

Iran and Turkmenistan (52)

Iran is second to China in terms of censorship. The country has a continuous practice of blocking popular web services and social media platforms, such as Google, Facebook, TikTok, HBO, and other platforms of a similar nature.

Internet censorship in Turkmenistan can be considered draconian. The country has banned the use of encrypted applications, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Moreover, netizens cannot use even VPNs or proxy tools for blocked websites.

India (51)

The state government of India possess strict control on internet censorship and surveillance ever since the 2008 bombings. To date, India has both temporarily and permanently blocked many websites and social media services. Recently, it has banned over 200 Chinese websites, games, and applications due to political conflicts.

Iraq (50)

The internet in Iraq was shut down in certain provinces to curb the threat brought upon by an extremist party during the war days. In fact, in many regions, some social media platforms like Facebook were also blocked. However, as soon as the level of threat to the region reduced, the shutdown was lifted along with social media platform bans.

Oman and Kuwait (46)

Like many Arab countries, Oman also placed a total ban on VoIP services due to security concerns. But due to Covid-19, the country has lifted bans from certain VoIP services. Apart from that, Oman practices limited to moderate restrictions for the use of VPNs and social media platforms.

Kuwait does block certain torrent websites, but it doesn’t ban the use of torrents. Likewise, the use of VPN services in Kuwait is completely legal.

Indonesia (42)

Indonesia observes a moderate level of internet censorship across the nation. Most actions of censorship are limited to only unethical and immoral platforms that promote nudity, gambling, and hoaxes. In certain situations, the Indonesian government has also banned certain social media apps, such as Facebook and Instagram. But the ban was later lifted.

Egypt (41)

Like most countries, Egypt often put restrictions on social media platforms mostly due to political reasons. At one point, the government also blocked over 34,000 websites that promoted an opposition campaign.

Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, and Qatar(40)

Nigerian internet censorship policies are getting more severe with time. In 2019, an anti-social media bill was forwarded to the senate that seeks to empower the law enforcement agencies to ban some social platforms and even shut down the internet whenever the need arises.

Saudi Arabia mostly limits restrictions to copyright, blasphemy, and political issues. Like other Arab nations, the use of VoIP services is also prohibited in the country.

Nepal strictly prohibits the use of torrents or to be involved in any torrent related activity. Apart from the continuous ban on torrent, Nepal also practices social media censorship to a certain level. In fact, a bill has been proposed that would empower the government to block any social media platform at will.

Internet censorship in Qatar follows the same practices as that of the rest of Arab regions. The government has blocked torrents, and it also prohibits the use of VoIP services.

Thailand & Myanmar (37)

Internet censorship in Thailand is mostly limited to social media and web content. The government has a long history of blocking and removing content. Over the past few years, the Thai government has blocked some Wikipedia pages, Facebook groups, and content from other prominent sites in the country.

Following a military coup earlier this year, internet censorship is on the rise in Myanmar. There have been as many as five internet blackouts in an effort to curb pro-democracy protests in the country. Some social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are also being blocked, leaving them unaccessible to millions of citizens.

Use Breeze VPN

Put an end to internet censorship today with the help of a good, fast, and reliable VPN like Breeze VPN.