With the popularization of social networks, online purchases and the use of the Internet in general, new types of problems arise on the Internet, concerns that have a lot to do with concepts such as security or privacy. However, it is also true that, although the network is becoming more secure, there is a certain probability that we will suffer some inconveniences that, unlike other more common ones, may be beyond our control.
These Internet problems come with security
Surfing the net means doing it in a reliable and secure environment. There are many threats and risks that we can find simply by visiting a website. We must bear in mind that over time new fronts have emerged that must be contained, but in most cases, we have problems with an Internet that are more or less within our reach.
However, it is also true that the network has evolved a lot in recent years. We do not have to go very far, because in just the last five years we have systems that until then were unknown worlds and that almost did not exist. That has caused, in the same way, that we find ourselves today with impediments and difficulties that we cannot control.
In these, what we are seeing is that we are moving towards hyperconnection in platforms , networks, applications and devices; but all this needs protection measures, given the intelligence capacity of the devices and their behavior.
Which are
At the same time, the volume of threats and the wide range of applications adopted by corporate users also introduce new problems in the efficient management of network resources. To face this scenario, under adequate conditions, organizations must have tools to monitor their environment.
But also having the support of specialists who constantly work to keep the configurations well adjusted to the protection and performance needs of the network. In this sense, what we find is that, due to the different applications that can compromise the security of the network, our Internet can be uncontrollable .
Attacks on DDOS servers
This is one of the Internet problems that may become more important, but which, inevitably, we can hardly do. They are what are called DDoS attacks, which are increasingly present today, especially since a few months ago one was used to simultaneously render services such as Twitter, Netflix or Spotify inaccessible .
As such, a DDoS attack is when a group of people or automatisms attack a server or computer from many computers at the same time. This massive flow of data means that the server’s resources end up not being enough, causing it to crash and stop working. This means that if it is a team that maintains a website, service or community, it falls together with the server.
Here, attacks through botnets are widely used, which are networks of hijacked or infected computers that behave like a swarm and attack all at once. The consequences of this type of attack depend on the breadth of these networks, but at the user level the only thing that can affect us is to crash your server and take down your services or websites while the attack lasts.
Underwater internet cables cut
The infrastructure we call the Internet relies on miles and miles of wiring running underground and deep in the world’s oceans and seas. That wiring is well protected, but occasional catastrophes can happen that turn into numerous problems for our internet (for example, in 2020 the 30 million inhabitants of Yemen were left without connection for this reason).
Those that cross large bodies of water are usually protected by steel armor because they have to withstand strong tensions , sea currents, the action of animals or terrestrial movements. Of the submarines, it is those near the coast that are usually most affected by human activity, anchors and the work of fishermen. The terrestrials, meanwhile, usually travel through cities, fields and deserts, buried a couple of meters deep, so they are not accessible to everyone (although this does not make them less vulnerable).
Ransomware, a type of malware
Another of the Internet problems that we can suffer, and that unfortunately it is not in our power to solve it, is what has to do with ransomware, a type of malware that has become known in recent years. Broadly speaking, what they seek to distribute malware in a massive and random way , and also targeted attacks that use malicious codes to affect companies and organizations from all kinds of industries, although it is quite common for them to occur in town halls, hospitals and all kinds of private and public networks and servers.
The most common form of ransomware distribution is through phishing emails with attachments or links that try to trick users through social engineering into downloading the threat. Other forms of distribution are through attacks on remote connections, such as the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), taking advantage of the use of weak passwords. How can it affect us? Especially in these times of teleworking.
And what can we do ? In general, exercise extreme caution. Yes, it is true that this is said a lot for what are the most frequent problems on the Internet, but it makes all the sense in the world. This means, for example, that it will be important not to open messages, emails or links that may be suspicious, as well as not to open attached emails without knowing their origin. Also, and this as something to always pay attention to, it is important to avoid providing personal data, just as it will be essential to create secure passwords or access websites with encryption by default .