With the cease of the Internet in the country that lasted seven days, software and hardware systems faced widespread security problems. In 1995 less than 1% of the world’s population had access to the Internet, and the use of people (mostly in Western countries), was nothing than curiosity. But twenty years later, in our world today, over 2.5 billion people, about half the world’s population, have access to the Internet. This figure is increasing day by day, with about 1 person being added every second. In such a world, even for a few hours, access to the Internet is unbelievable for some. The day-to-day use of the Internet to receive information and news and to communicate with others and to facilitate services has become so commonplace that it frightens people of not having internet. Because today’s foundations of our lives are tied to the Internet and it means a lot to break down to do different things, lose communication, disrupt tasks, disrupt social life, and waste a lot of time.
However, shutting down the Internet is not unexpected and may occur for various reasons globally or nationally. Internet cables may be damaged deep in the seas, an example which occurred in 2008, causing problems in the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Governments may decide to shut down the internet for security reasons, such as Egypt, which did during the Spring in 2011. Turkey and apparently China have also made it possible for them to shut down the Internet. The cease reason for the Internet could be the release of software by hackers that exploit vulnerabilities in routers. Hackers may use DDoS attacks to disrupt server traffic and eventually disrupt it. This happened in 2016. The US government is also seeking a one-stop Internet connection to prevent cyberattacks. Satellites may even be ejected from space orbit by space debris or willfully cause this to happen.
Software Problems
Software problems can definitely be traced to getting an update if the Internet is certain. Software, operating systems, and smartphones are in dire need of updating at specific intervals. For example, Google releases a security update for Android systems every month that protects them against operating system errors or app security issues. The user may not notice what updates are happening on his device, but any new operating system or program contains unwanted security flaws that will get fixed over time by receiving updates from the original company.
Of course, there are some security holes called Zero-day that Google is not aware of, but other people or groups have come to know and have detected the intrusion. Therefore, we need to always be sensitive to the security updates of our smart devices. We should note that this problem is not limited to the Android operating system and users of every operating system should receive a security update. A user may even compromise their security by using the iPhone’s iMessage app, as researchers found a security hole in Apple’s encryption program.
There are a bug and vulnerability in new products and applications, and it is very crucial and at the same time important. It should be noted that different bugs have different degrees of importance. An application may be run when it receives personal information and after the hacker’s access to the user’s account, the security of this information may be seriously compromised. If you have a question about how bugs can become a problem if the Internet is completely shut down? the answer is, hackers can even trigger a bug by exploiting the bug to find out if there is a security flaw. Not surprisingly, if they detect this defect, they will not act as quickly as possible without using users’ information. If you care about the security of your device, you should regularly receive updates and use up-to-date antivirus software, especially when your device is running out of time and may no longer be released or applications may come from unsafe locations. You also need to find up-to-date sources of information about viruses, security holes, and other digital threats.
Security bugs are also found in the most used and secure applications, software, and operating systems. Last March, Google announced a bug in the Google Chrome browser, along with another bug targeting Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Microsoft has said many times before about the need to migrate from Windows 7 to Windows 10 because it won’t support security after a while. The bug, a zero-day bug, directly targeted the Google Chrome code, allowing hackers to steal computer data remotely.
In addition, upgrading to the operating system does not allow hardware or even new software to run with it, and device information may be compromised or a failure to back up (not only information but device stability). Even if the system crashes during this time, the problem cannot be resolved due to a lack of Internet access. Finally, if you find it frustrating and unnecessary to comply with all of the points mentioned and consider important security issues, look at the fact that you will never keep rotting food in the freezer, as fresh food may get spoiled.
Hardware Problems
Failure to update hardware components can also cause damage. Network devices, routers, data centers, formulas, etc. all require security updates to be ready for new bugs and vulnerabilities. The vulnerability can cause access to the network to be lost and control of servers can also be blocked.
It should be noted that some hardware vulnerabilities are actually software-based, and as a result, problems and bugs and security holes cannot be found and fixed until they are connected to the Internet. Proper hardware cannot perform properly without up-to-date software and its performance can be compromised. Routers should be mentioned as one of the most important hardware that has always been the subject of security vulnerabilities. Routers are devices at the heart of networks, and if they penetrate, any device on the network will be compromised. Security bugs at the router level pose widespread risks. Even recently, security experts have found that much of the information is being intercepted by Mikrotik routers.
Hardware such as modems receives the most updates from the manufacturer due to receiving DNS settings in each country or increasing network security. Unsurprisingly, the Internet certainly raises the likelihood of a device being vulnerable, and unfortunately, it is not always possible to find out the router’s accuracy from its initial performance, and this confidence can only be achieved with hardware upgrades.
In the next section, the importance of updating the firmware can be mentioned. The framework is part of the server maintenance program and includes instructions on how to operate the related hardware.
- Resolves critical issues to ensure system stability, such as upgrades that may prevent the server from responding or other factors that threaten the server.
- Fixes product issues; such as ROM or CPU performance
- Improve system performance or further service the system
Most of the problems that cause you to replace a piece of hardware with a product update are preventable or removable. In fact, the existence of new hardware cannot guarantee health and safety against security issues.
Turning to Insecure Options
Internet disruption, like other times when restricting Internet platforms, has led to many users turning to unsafe apps and VPNs, free and high-risk proxies, and downloading unofficial and unreliable versions of apps. In such volatile situations, users are resorting to any method and option that unfortunately compromises their security and their devices in order to gain access to the Internet and take advantage of its environment.
Previously by blocking telegram messengers, various versions of it were made and many users turned to them, but even in the most well-known versions, such as telegram and Persian telegram, there were also dangerous security holes that allowed the device to be attacked and misused. It was increasing. In this context, the app’s founder Paul Dwarf and even the Minister of Communications and Technology warned of the threat to privacy. Some servers that send phone information to users of these applications or receive files related to the application lack a secure data transfer protocol and are easily audible. Also, some of these servers are set up in the worst technical condition, making some users’ information visible to others. With no security measures in place to safeguard information, cybercriminals and hackers can easily access sensitive management servers by accessing highly sensitive information or publishing advertisements and links containing malware or ransomware.
Insecure proxies and VPNs can easily transfer viruses or malware from their servers to the user’s device without ever having a strong or long-term internet connection. Other risks that may be transmitted via malicious proxy and VPN are as follows:
- All personal information passes through the proxy server, and the webmaster or owner of the proxy can monitor all of your information. Your email account and bank and credit card details can all be stolen.
- Phishing: The proxy site may be explicitly designed to hit you. Some of them will show you a fake copy of the site when you log into your email or banking site. They may tell you that the server is currently unavailable while the site is not your primary site and sends the information to the proxy owner.
- You may think that all proxies will hide your address from websites, but in fact, many proxies will show your original IP address.
Last but not least, when information cannot be stored on the cloud or global services such as Google and Microsoft, apart from not having access to up-to-date information and updating information which is another concern, new information security is compromised and exposed to easier exploitation by individuals. And hackers Under these circumstances, even the old device cannot be replaced due to various problems, since it is not possible to transfer the information of the previous device to the new one.