If 2020 taught the world anything, it was that even the most prominent companies could fall victim to data breaches. Today, data breaches and violations of user privacy have become daily occurrences. According to Edward Snowden, the American government tracks the citizen while Facebook allows collecting user data by firms such as Cambridge Analytica.
All the data collected is not always used transparently, legally, or ethically. This is why people have become concerned about the privacy of their data online. This collected data can easily fall into the hands of hackers. This puts you at risk of cyberattacks that can be detrimental.
As an internet user, it is easy to get worried and overwhelmed by data breach concerns. Fortunately, there is something you can do to enhance your privacy online. Here are some of the best tools to protect your online privacy in 2021.
Private search engines
With a private search engine, you can visit any website on the web without worrying about being tracked or the search engine collecting your data. Private search engines do not target users for ads, making them the better alternative when surfing the internet. Some of the options available include Tor, Firefox, HideMySearches, Qwant, Startpage, and DuckDuckGo.
VPN
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a simple yet effective tool that can be used to protect your privacy online. A VPN protects your data and your privacy when online by creating a secure tunnel between your device and the web.
When you subscribe to a VPN service, you also protect yourself from spies on the internet like hackers and government agencies. The VPN encrypts any data sent from your device, making it unreadable to anyone without authorization.
Tracker, ad, and malware blocker
When you are tracked, your data is collected and sold to marketing companies. Having a reliable ad blocker is necessary for privacy and security. When it comes to privacy, a blocking tool ensures you minimize the possibility of being tracked for targeted ads.
Ads are also notorious for carrying malicious code for malware meant to infect your computer and run in the background. An ad blocker is the best way to ensure ads are not used to access your private information.
Encrypted messaging apps
One of the best ways to protect your online privacy is using a secure messaging application. These apps utilize end-to-end encryption and do not collect or sell user data. Your activity on these apps is completely private, even to the app developers. Some of the popular options in 2021 include signal, Viber, Threema, Telegram, Wire, and WickrME.
Online privacy starts with you. By following the recommendations in this article, you can worry less about falling victim to data theft or security breaches.
Juana loves to cover the tech and gaming industry, she always stays on the first row of CES conference and reports live from there.
