Myth #1: “The network would be safer if we shut down the deep web”

Looking for the GOOD in goodbye 

Where can you go to escape the grasp of Google’s tentacles? Some go to the deep net, an elusive online-abyss, buried deep in the network. In the recent poll by the Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI), 70% of the people interviewed believe that getting rid of the deep web would be a good way to combat cyber-crime and terrorism.

Shockingly, radical groups like ISIS rarely use the dark web, as shown in a recent study by researchers Daniel Moore and Thomas Rid. ISIS propaganda and recruitment is spread throughout the internet, on “traditional” websites and networks, so their message can be heard everywhere.

Eliminating the dark web doesn’t mean a peace-seed will be planted in its place. The dark web is often used as a platform for expression in countries where freedoms are limited regarding communication and Internet access. So in a way, sweeping away the deep web could actually kill activism instead of terrorism.

Myth #2: Software must have back doors for governments

When one door closes another one opens

No need to hide the key under the mat, anymore. Following Snowden’s revelations regarding the activities of secret service cyber-surveillance and the Apple-FBI-San Bernardino controversy, most of the participants (63%) think that government intelligence agencies should have unlimited access to devices (for reasons of national security, of course).

If this is permitted, then the government wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of breaking Cyphers, those super complicated codes used for encryption that are unbreakable unless a vulnerability exists in the algorithm. The problem with this solution is that it would leave users vulnerable, who, at the same time, would be the main beneficiaries of these protective measures. Without encryption and back doors, programs and applications we use every day could easily be at the mercy of cyber-criminals.

Myth #3: Cybersecurity is not for everyone

How to cover your tracks

Many users think that those privacy-protecting programs and services (recommended by Snowden and other activists) are not available to us “common people” but there are many ways for anonymous communication online. Browsing through the free software program Tor (The Onion Router) or implementing something called PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encryption in your email may seem extremely complex, but anyone can do it using the tutorials that are available online.

Myth #4: Who would want to attack me?

You’re the fish they want to fry

Maybe you think that you’re not a target. But you’re wrong. In fact, the most attractive victims for cyber-crooks aren’t the pretty pennies, but the ones that are the easiest to attack. If you haven’t budgeted for antivirus protection, then you are exactly the fish they want to catch!

Myth #5: Phones don’t need antivirus software

My $700 phone is unstoppable!

So you think your phone can do-it-all? That slow-mo video function won’t prevent you from getting hacked. There’s a long list of reasons you should install a good security solution on your smartphone or tablet. That dough you dropped on your latest-generation smartphone could actually double if your phone isn’t protected with the right antivirus system. Ransomware (a virus that “kidnaps” info from you then requires you to pay it back) is one of the most common threats amongst those super popular Android or iOS smartphones (with a ransom payoff at around $350US).

Don’t stop protecting! Learn more about the internet’s cockroaches

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Source: Panda