5 Tools You Need To Protect Your Privacy Online

5 Tools To Help Protect Your Privacy Online | KTLA

The purpose of protecting privacy is to reduce the power governments and private sector companies have over you. Therefore, it is recommended that you safeguard your information with the right internet privacy tools even when you believe “you have nothing to hide.” 

It appears that the word ‘privacy’ is now being trivialized because most search engines and internet service providers (ISPs) now collect and sell user data. On the grounds of this, the need for internet privacy protection products and services became crucial.

Albeit, there are several options available across the web, such as Nigeria VPN,  Password manager, encrypted DNS,  encrypted hard drive, privacy-focused web browser, among others, All these shall be discussed vividly in subsequent paragraphs.

1. Virtual Private Networks (VPN)

VPN serves as a shield because it protects your location from being disclosed, and it hides the websites you have visited. Basically, your internet traffic is directed through a secured server. Keep in mind that not all VPNs are the same. There is a wide range of free VPN’s apps but it is advisable to go for a service that charges a monthly fee due to the fact that it is more reliable. Examples of trustworthy services are ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access VPN. Sadly, this doesn’t automatically mean that all your online activities are private.

2. A password manager.

This is a broad area because it encompasses password strength, password management, and password storage. People make common errors (such as using their date of birth or phone number) to formulate computer passwords, thereby making their information vulnerable to hacking. You need to start using strong, unique passwords for every site you visit. Many people store passwords in the web browser and this is risky. You would be better off using a dedicated password manager.

Here are examples of good password managers; KeePass, LessPass, Bitwarden, Dashlane and 1Password. You can also set up 2-factor authentication for every important website and service you use.

3. An Encrypted DNS (domain name system) links URLs with their IP address. Encrypting DNS helps improve user privacy and scrutiny. It is important that you change your DNS settings from time to time to prevent your information from being breached and sold to advertisers. On that account, using a privacy-focused DNS like 1.1.1.1 could help. The DNS, which Cloudflare owns, employs encryption to protect your internet traffic.

4. An encrypted hard drive

Putting a password on the computer’s hard-drive is also a step to protect a user from a data bridge. The computer’s data becomes inaccessible to a criminal when the hard drive is taken out. Without your password, they wouldn’t be able to gain entry. The encryption process can vary between systems and devices. If you use a Mac, you’ll simply want to enable FileVault protection on it, which encrypts the hard drive. Windows PC users should consider downloading an open-source application such as DiskCryptor app to encrypt their computers.

5. A privacy-focused web browser

Not all browsers are not fully secured but some assist you to maintain your anonymity and surf the web securely. Google is not your friend if you’re bothered about your privacy online and you might need to look out for other secure options. 

‘Brave’ is said to be an excellent browser as it is based on the open-source Chromium project. Your browsing data are not stored or collected. It automatically blocks trackers, and even automatically upgrades to HTTPS for secure, encrypted communications. You can also get it on your mobile phones. There are also other options as well such as Apple’s privacy-focused Safari web browser, Opera, and Firefox. Some browsers also offer ad blockers.