Computers talk with each other in numbers and humans in words. That's a simplification, of course, but it gives us a good idea of what DNS servers do — translate words of domain names (cometvpn.com) into numbers of IP addresses (172.67.201.66).

A DNS server can be a privacy hazard as it has to be informed about every website you visit. A private DNS solves this problem by allowing you to use a DNS provider of your choice, possibly with encryption. We explain what private DNS is and how to set it up below.

A firewall is a security system that is meant to protect your devices from harmful files, viruses, and hacks online. An important thing to understand is that there are more than one type of firewall out there, and they have different levels and features of security.

In this article, you will understand everything there is to know about SPI firewalls, which offer more robust security by ensuring that only safe online traffic is allowed through.

We’re all familiar with the pain of sudden internet connection problems, instability, and the constant website crashes. And while this could just be an innocent connection loss, it could also be a sign of an IP fragmentation attack.

Although a lesser-known threat, it’s a type of cyber attack that exploits the way internet protocols handle data transmission to evade firewalls, disrupt services, and infiltrate networks undetected.

If successful, a slowed internet would be the least of your worries – there would also be a risk of major application crashes, and worst still, malicious and unauthorized data breaches. That’s why it’s important to be informed and know how to protect your device properly.

Both VPN (virtual private network) and RDP (remote desktop protocol) are remote access technologies. You use an internet connection to access a computer that’s in a different location than yours and get the benefits as if you were using that computer.

There’s one key difference between a virtual private network and a remote desktop protocol – the level of control you get. A VPN server only provides you with internet traffic routing, encryption, and some other benefits. You continue using your machine for everything else.

Remote desktop protocol gives you access to the machine itself. You may get different levels of permissions (ranging from limited access to full administrative privileges), but in all cases you’ll get to control the machine itself to some extent.

Screen hacking is a new type of attack that injects fake touchpoints on a touchscreen by using electromagnetic interference EMI. A hacked screen can be used to perform any action on the device, including opening browsers, sending messages, or installing software.

Hackers use dedicated devices to send signals to your touchscreen that mimic the same signal sent when the screen is being touched. Luckily, it’s currently impossible to do that from a long distance, so the person has to be within a few meters of you, making it easier to understand what’s going on.

No one's forcing us to lock our front doors, but everyone does it anyway. Encryption plays a similar role in safeguarding your internet connection, except that many people still don't do it. The concept of encrypting internet traffic isn't so well-known.

Simply put, encryption makes information unreadable by unauthorized third parties. Just as someone without a key can't access your locked house, no one without an encryption key can access your encrypted data.

We're going to cover all the basics to start locking the cyber doors to your internet connection. With the right tools, sensitive data can be protected without much hassle.