For non-technophiles, online communication is as simple as clicking “send” in an email client. But in reality, the entire process includes a series of precise mechanisms that took decades to develop.
Suppose you are to send a photo of your last trip to Panama. Upon sending, the picture’s data gets broken down into “packets” that are typically no bigger than 1,500 bytes each. Once these packets reach the intended recipient, a computer reassembles them back into an image – ready to be viewed by humans.
Today, internet technology has become so efficient that—on an average internet connection—up to 5.1 megabytes of data can be transferred in a second. The only problem is that data in transit is susceptible to digital eavesdroppers or more popularly known as hackers.
How Hackers Steal Data
A hacker has many tricks up his sleeve. If their goal is corporate sabotage, they can leverage a network of infected computers or ‘botnets’ to launch a Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS attack. They can also infiltrate networks by injecting malware, such as ‘keyloggers’ that track everything a user types.
Luckily, there is a straightforward solution that can prevent these common cyber threats. For everyday internet users, a free tool like Malwarebytes should …
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