There are many attacks that we can suffer when surfing the net. Many types of threats that can compromise our systems and put our privacy at risk. Therefore, it is important to always have the necessary knowledge to correct possible vulnerabilities or bad habits that may affect us. In this article we will explain what session hijacking is and how it could affect us.
Data and personal information, objectives on the Internet
Our personal data can be targeted by hackers when we surf the net. We already know that they have great value and that they can be used to send us targeted advertising, include us in spam lists or even sell them to third parties.
There are many attacks that we can suffer in this regard. They use strategies to collect information of all kinds and to be able to engage us on the Internet. This can affect users of all types of operating systems and when using any application or tool that we have.
This means that we must always bear in mind the importance of protecting our equipment, of preventing data from leaking. An example is what we mentioned in this article: session hijacking. We are going to show what it consists of and also what we can do to avoid being victims.
What is session hijacking
Session hijacking , also known as session hijacking , is a major problem that can affect the safety of users when browsing the web. Its function is to gain unauthorized access to information or services on a system. Typically this occurs when an attacker steals or hijacks session cookies when a user browses the internet.
If session cookies are hijacked, they could impersonate a user and log in on their behalf. An example is HTTP cookies , which can be stolen and which serve to keep the session started.
As we can imagine, session IDs, the data needed to log into a service or platform, are very valuable to cybercriminals. Ultimately, they could steal personal data, use platforms on our behalf, access restricted content …
To achieve this they often use what is known as Man-in-The-Middle attacks . What the attacker does is spy on the communication, the information that we send or receive. This intercepts the valid session ID.
These attacks are usually very common when we access insecure networks. Let’s say we connect to a public Wi-Fi in a shopping mall. That network may be configured maliciously and the information we share on the Internet is not encrypted, but could be intercepted by intruders.
How to avoid being victims of session hijacking
Luckily we can take into account different security measures to avoid being victims of this threat and other similar ones. The goal is to protect our data and prevent others from being able to log in on our behalf.
Security tools
Without a doubt, something that we must always bear in mind is the importance of having security software . A good antivirus will prevent the entry of threats that in one way or another could harm us.
This is something that we must apply regardless of the type of device or operating system that we are using. There are many options we have, both free and paid. We simply have to choose the one that best suits our needs and thus avoid problems.
Keeping equipment updated
Another issue that we should not overlook is the importance of keeping the equipment properly updated . On many occasions, vulnerabilities arise that can be exploited by hackers to carry out their attacks.
This reason makes it essential that we always have the latest versions available. This way we will avoid that our equipment is vulnerable and can damage our security.
Connect to secure networks
Precisely session hijacking attacks can occur when we connect to networks that are insecure . A Wi-Fi in a hotel or a shopping center, for example, can put us in danger.
This means that we must avoid connecting to wireless networks that we cannot trust 100%. We should at least avoid logging into sensitive sites.
Use VPN if necessary
If we need to log in and we have no choice but to connect to public networks, one thing we can do is use VPN services . In this way the connection is encrypted and we prevent our data from being exposed.
Common sense
Last, but perhaps most importantly, common sense . It is essential that we do not make mistakes when browsing the Internet, that we do not fall into the trap of hackers.
In short, these are some important points to protect ourselves from session hijacking or also known as session hijacking. The objective is that our data is always safe and we do not have problems when surfing the net.