The coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020 and it resulted in several entities relying heavily on the internet. The effects of COVID-19 have spilled into 2021 with social distancing techniques still in play. Since almost everyone is using the internet nowadays, some problems have arisen.
Controversies Surrounding Online Privacy
The most important one is the issue of online privacy. Many offices have encouraged employees to work from home, pending the time COVID-19 infections drop. Most workers have no idea about cybersecurity and their home devices do not receive the same level of security as the ones they use at work.
Hackers have exploited this to the fullest, targeting employees to steal login credentials. The FBI and Interpol released guidelines for remote workers to prevent getting hacked.
Online data is also accessible by big tech companies. Early in 2021, Whatsapp announced a new privacy policy that grants Facebook permission to go through users’ chats and store data from their smartphones. In the wake of these developments, your online privacy is key. Below, you’ll find the best ways to keep your data private.
Tools for Securing Online Data
- VPN for Online Anonymity
A VPN provides the online anonymity service to users via the establishment of a secure network. Take it like driving your car on a highway and a private tunnel gets created for you to protect you from the dangers of the road.
Virtual Private Networks ensure that you never get tracked by big tech companies, your network provider, or hackers. One of the best uses for VPN apps is for protection on public Wi-Fi networks. Several hackers breach free Wi-Fi in coffee shops and parks to get data from people connected to it.
A VPN, through its encryption, protects your data from getting seen by the hacker. It also scrambles your IP address to mask your identity.
- Tor for Browser Privacy
The Onion Router network is one that is rated highly by tech experts as one of the most private networks. It bounces your web traffic on several servers so anyone trying to track you finds it to be an arduous task.
Tor is used by the military, freedom fighters, and citizens in oppressed countries. It serves as a portal to the dark web where almost everyone is anonymous. It also never stores a user’s browsing history. The con associated with using Tor is that it could be slow. However, its reputation for privacy is unparalleled.
- Password Management Tool
This tool allows you to create strong passwords to protect your accounts from hackers. Most individuals use the same password across accounts, giving hackers access to all their data once a single account gets hacked.
With a password manager, you can create and store strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts.
- Privacy-Focused Chat Messenger
Several businesses are moving away from Whatsapp in a bid to protect customer data. A lot of users are reportedly migrating to chat apps like Signal and Telegram. However, these platforms contain the risk of getting removed from application stores.
To protect your communications, you’ll need a privacy-focused chat messenger that is both reliable and will outlast other chat apps.
Final Thoughts
The conversation about online privacy has become more intense in the last couple of years. Too much data has been exposed to big tech companies and hackers, and people are searching for cybersecurity measures.
To protect your online privacy, utilize a VPN, use a privacy-focused chat messenger, get Tor Browser, and secure your passwords with a password manager.
This article is written by Brad Smith from TurnOnVPN
