Safe And Strong Password Is Online Security Wall

Friends welcome to the new post of HkGoodKh.Friends, hope you are deriving benefits from valuable tips to keep the online activities secure. We put best efforts to teach you good online safety tips. Still, there is always scope for improvement. If you have any suggestions, do comment. 

Ok friends, so let's get started. If we ask one question - "which is 1 thing that can be termed as the gate to your online account? 1 thing that will surely give access to your private data. " Think! Think! Yes, you got it! It's a "password ". Login to Gmail, Twitter or Facebook. After entering the user-id, what do you submit before it lets you log in? Password!!! 

Just imagine, 'if you forget that 1 thing, can you log in?' No, not at all! This secret key is the shield between you and your private online data. 

But, what if the same password becomes shield between your online date and someone else. Yes, friends, we are talking about hackers gaining access to your data. 

Well, the consequences could be dangerous. And, if your payment account or bank account is at the receiving end, the results could be catastrophic for your hard earned money. 

But friends, since you are reading this post, rest be assured, you already have entered safety zone. HkGoodKh would provide you tips to create a strong password and secure it.

GO FOR LONG PASSWORD 

Yah! Experts recommend you should use a password that must have at least 12-14 characters. 

GO FOR A MIXTURE OF DIFFERENT CHARACTERS

To make the password difficult to crack, use a mix of capital, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

GO FOR RANDOM CHARACTERS

Use characters that are not obvious. For instance, "password ", "admin", "123" are obvious. Never use obvious dictionary words as the password. These are the top targets in the hit-list of hackers.

GO FOR DIFFERENT PASSWORD ON YOUR DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS

This ensures the safety of your remaining accounts if the hacker somehow gets access to one of them.

GO FOR REGULAR CHANGE IN YOUR PASSWORD

An excellent tip recommended by experts for online security. So, do follow.

GO FOR A NEW PASSWORD EVERY TIME YOU WISH TO CHANGE IT

Yes, do not reuse the same password. It might be vulnerable to hackers.

GO FOR A GOOD PASSWORD MANAGER

This is an excellent all in one solution which takes care of everything mentioned above and best of all - requires no effort on your part. Here are the top reasons to choose one.

• Friends, this provides security to online password especially if you have accounts on a plethora of websites.
• You just have to remember the master password of the password manager. Rest assured, it automatically takes care of all your passwords.
• These use excellent encryption mechanism - the best security method and almost non-breachable.
• These have a user-friendly interface. These could automatically fill out your private information on sites, thus providing security from malware and phishing attack.
• These could easily create very strong passwords, almost impossible to crack. So if wish to change passwords, do not rely upon yourself. It would do the job on your part.
• These have both free and paid version and are compatible with all types of devices.
• These are available as apps and browser extensions for downloads.
• These excellent features make it a top password security tool. 
• So HkGoodKh recommends going for it. One more point HkGoodKh would like to make - though you use a password manager, do set up 2-factor authentication for all your accounts as well as a password manager.

That's it friends. We have provided top tips for creating and securing your online passwords. After all, your password is yours. It's none of others business.

A strong password secures online payment system plus all your accounts in one go.

Along with 2 Factor Authentication, a strong password acts as a robust deterrent against any malware attack.

So we hope, you would apply these tips and share with others.

Stay Safe While Installing Online Browser Extensions Or Addons

Hello friends, welcome again to the new post of HkGoodKh. Here, our commitment is to give good online content which could prove fruitful.

Friends, we do hope that you liked reading our previous post. In that, we told you about the threats associated with the browser extensions also known as "Add-ons". By reading, you must have comprehended the dangers.

In this post, we would go one step further. We would provide tips to protect against bad or rogue add-ons. We would enlist precautions you must follow before installing an extension. 

By following these online safety tips, you could thwart any attack of rogue extension.

So let's get going.

Enable 2 Factor Authentication

Yes - HkGoodKh believes this is the best security tip for any day. It is like a locker within the locker with the keys of the innermost locker with you. Even if a thief gets hold of your outer locker, he would be unable to steal your precious items. Reason being: all the items are in the innermost locker. And that key is with you.

The same logic applies in case of a bad add-on. Even if he has access to your password, 2 FA would prevent access to your account data. It acts as a deterrent.

Also, go for a strong password for your online account. Hope you got our point.

FAKE ADDON MAY SHOW SIGNS OF BEING FAKE

Friends, fake Adblock plus was very similar to the original. But still, it gave users signs that it was fake. The fake Adblock plus was called "AdBlock Plus". Note the capitalized 'B'. It is an error.

The only other difference was fake Adblock plus got classification under App category. To appear real, the fake one spammed keywords.

Also, it did a contrary job of opening ads.

So friends, if you suspect an add-on, closely observe it. 

Compare with the original. If it increases tabs or ads, do not think twice and just uninstall it. Your job is done. You are in the safe zone.

INSTALL LEAST EXTENSIONS AND IF YOU CAN DO AWAY WITHOUT THEM GO FOR IT

HkGoodKh highly recommends this tip to be on the safe side. Additionally, we suggest if an extension does not work as per expectation just uninstall it. This would surely minimize the risk.

ONLY GO FOR EXTENSIONS DEVELOPED BY TRUSTED COMPANY

Yup, that's the right thing to do. Like Google, they develop the official Gmail Notifier. And, you can always trust them to never sell it to just any company for the sake of a few thousand bucks.

GO ONLY FOR ADD-ONS WITH GOOD RATINGS

Definitely, addon with excellent ratings has something special in them to win user trust. So check them. Also avoid unrated, low rated and unsigned addons.

ALWAYS READ THE EXTENSION REVIEW

Yes, because reviews may indicate that the extension might be suspicious.

CHECK THE SOURCE OF ADDON

This is one of the best methods to check for third-party content. Do this before installing an extension. For this, you can utilize the power of "Chrome Extension Source Viewer". 

In the main toolbar, it would show a button. Just click it and the source code would be right in front of you. You can also download it as a zip file to analyze the addon locally. 

You can also use the filter by type option. For instance, choosing image would straight away display the code.

But friends, this works only if you can read the code. If you can't, unfortunately, you would not get any good out of this.

USE VIRTUAL KEYBOARD FOR ENTERING PERSONAL INFORMATION AND BANKING SITES

DISABLE AUTO UPDATE

Why! because even a good addon may become a malware if it auto updates.

DO READ THE PRIVACY POLICY, TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND FAQ SECTION OF EACH BROWSER EXTENSION BEFORE INSTALLATION

Well, who knows it might give you a clue whether to trust an addon. Addon with ambiguous policy terms and likewise might be untrusted.

TRY YOUR HANDS ONLY ON ADD-ONS HAVING LOT OF USERS

A lot of users often indicate that the product can be trusted. So, do check it.

TRY TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE PERMISSIONS REQUIRED BY AN EXTENSION BEFORE INSTALLING.

Well, while you cannot always determine whether an addon requires the permissions it requests, it makes sense to check them. Especially, if an extension requests entire data on computer and websites.

DO NOT ENABLE ANY EXTENSION IN INCOGNITO WINDOW AND OPEN ALL SECURE LINKS AND BANK SITES IN INCOGNITO WINDOW

GO FOR SECURE BROWSER

HkGoodKh recommends using Firefox or Chrome. These have excellent security tools. The online store regularly checks the extensions to offer you the best experience.

ALWAYS CHECK THE COMPANY WEBSITE ASSOCIATED WITH ADDON

Yes, we emphasize this even if you reinstall the same extension. As in the case of Adblock Plus, the real website is adblockplus.org. Also, Google did not develop the fake version extension. If the user had checked the website before installing the fake extension, guess what! out of 10 times, he would have chosen NOT TO INSTALL it 9 times.

So friends, by now you must have got what it takes to stay secure while installing browser add-ons. Do apply these online safety tips. Your comments are eagerly awaited.

Threats Associated With Bad Online Browser Extensions Or Addons

Hello friends, welcome back to HkGoodKh. Hope, you must be eagerly waiting for this new post. As promised, we would 

teach you about the dangers of fake or bad extensions. After reading this, we are sure readers would think twice think twice before installing the addon. You would go for the good and trusted ones only! 

We would also discuss the fake version of Adblock plus, recently removed by Google from its store to protect the online security of the users.

So friends, let's get started! 

THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH FAKE OR BAD OR UNTRUSTED BROWSER EXTENSIONS

Friends, the fake Adblock plus discovered by Google opened new tabs in the browser. Also, it caused an increase in the number of browser ads. As per reports, users discussed this in the add-on review section. Just imagine how much it annoyed the users! Contrary to its name, the fake Adblock plus increased the number of ads.

Who would like to surf on a browser loaded with tabs and ads!?!? It must have crashed several times, after-all. 

Browsing must have become painfully slow.

Based on the above observation, we can safely conclude about the dangers of fake Adblock plus.

• Opens new and unwanted tabs
• Bombards web pages with advertisements
• Causes browser to crash frequently
• Browsing becomes extremely slow
• The browser becomes unresponsive or hangs a lot

Ok friends, by now you must have got a big clue what the likes of fake add-ons like Adblock plus can do.

But the threats are not limited to these alone. Let's see, what more harm it causes. 

• If a bad addon requests for complete data and activity, it can read the passwords. Thus, a bad addon is truly a malware which compromises your online safety.
• A bad addon with complete permission has full access to the response sent by the site. Thus, it knows all about your online details. Though, they claim to be just tiny.
• Even https cannot save you from the dangers of the bad addon with complete permission. Though they would not have access to cookies, if they can read passwords, it doesn't make much difference.
• Even pop-ups which do not have navigation bar are loaded with extensions. As users, you can test this.
• Add-ons also send the request and trap you to believe that webpage sends it. Like, if you are on Single Click Purchase site, you can get purchase requests from extensions. So beware!!! 
• Friends, bad and untrusted add-ons are privacy nightmare. They could access all your browsing history. They could track information about the sites you visit. Additionally, these also know about your current tab and the number of opened tabs.
• Add-ons could easily doctor Facebook, Gmail, and other social media messages. These can inject their own stuff into them. So, even your messages are not really yours.
• A notorious extension can also redirect your search to a suspicious site. Thus, you can probably become a victim of clever phishing and spamming leading to a privacy breach. 
• Even the popular addon could be sold to an untrusted company or hijacked. The sold or hijacked extension could get automatic updates resulting in a malware.

So, friends, HkGoodKh says - beware of all bad and fake extensions. We do hope by now you must have grasped what harm the cute and tiny looking programs can cause.

So, now a question may pop in your head " What as the responsible online user can I do to stay safe?"

Friends, do not worry. HkGoodKh would provide the solution for this. So, in our next post, you would find the answer to this query. We would teach you about the precaution tips.

We hope friends, you would like our post. Do share your views with us in the comments. Thanks for reading this  article!

Get To Know About Online Browser Extensions Or Addons For Safety

Hello friends, welcome to HkGoodKh. We strive to give you online content that is meaningful, useful and informative. Please, do provide us the feedback by filling the comment box. It would help us to know better about the improvement areas. 

Friends, cyber-criminals are looking for extremely cunning techniques to steal your data. Just a few months ago, we saw how a fake version of Adblock plus extension managed to deceive a large number of people by making way into chrome store. As per news reports, approximately 37000 people installed it in two weeks. Google did an excellent job to warn users and remove that from the chrome store to reduce further damage.

But the point HkGoodKh wants to make friends - why wait for the catastrophe? We online users have the first responsibility to take best precautions for online safety. 

We just need to be aware. 

And here you are at HkGoodKh for getting that awareness. So friends, in return today, we would make you aware of the browser add-ons. And in the later posts, of the dangers associated with fake and bad add-ons/extensions as well as safety tips to avoid falling victim to them. This would help you to be on the safe side.



So let's get started.

Friends, before going further we would like to give an idea about what the so-called extensions are!? How these tiny extensions can customize your browsing as per liking!? 

BROWSER EXTENSIONS OR ADDONS

Friends, browser extensions or add-ons are computer programs.



WHAT THEY DO

• These add to the functionality of the web browsers and make browsing a smooth and user-friendly experience. 
• These tiny programs change the web pages. Additionally, these tools integrate the browser with the different services you use. 
• Some add-ons also add the toolbar to the web browser. Thus, the user interface of browser gets changed. Yet, the view-able content remains unchanged.

FROM WHERE CAN YOU DOWNLOAD ADDONS

Friends, nearly all popular web browsers such as Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera have their "online stores". You can download the extension of your choice. You find both free and paid ones. You can find the extensions by typing name in the search box. Popular or trending add-ons are also listed. You can also find the rating of each extension which makes your job easier.

Chrome Web Store: For chrome extensions
Mozilla's AddOn Site: For Firefox extensions.

EXAMPLES OF SOME POPULAR ADDONS

Well, online stores are filled with all types of extensions you can think. You name it and they have it. Below we have listed a few examples of good extensions

Adblock Plus: If you want faster web browsing experience without ads then this is an extension for you. But beware of the fake version.

Slot Worth: Very handy Chrome and Firefox extension to know cost and time wasted on idle browsing.

So friends, by now you must have a clear idea of what browser extensions are all about. We tried to give an in-
depth overview. Hope you like our article. In the next post, we would discuss the dangers of installing fake and bad add-ons.