With each passing year, we move forward leaps and bounds in terms of online security. However, we see how privacy is starting to become a thing of the past as we make major developments in our internet infrastructure and start to integrate Social Media into our daily lives. In these turbulent times, it is difficult to know whether or not anything we do is anonymous anymore.
We have gone through all of the factors that are currently affecting internet users when it comes to the security of their data and activity to get a fair idea of whether or not online privacy is a thing of the past. We will take you through all of the problems that you face and mention a solution that you can use to make sure your internet connection is completely secure.
From everything that we have seen so far, it is easy for us to assume that you do not have any semblance of online privacy anymore. Although chances that you are specifically targeted are slim unless you engage in illegal activities, your browsing data will probably be collected no matter what and stored until it is required by someone. Eventually, you can expect your browsing history to be sold by your ISP.
That's right, it is now possible for ISPs operating in certain regions to sell your browsing history to the highest bidder. This means that strangers might be able to view everything that you browse and download.
What is even worse is that many investigative authorities are allowed to access all of your internet data, and the ISPs are legally obligated to share it all with them. On top of that, those who reside in fourteen eyes nations may also have governments of other countries take a look at their data, essentially exposing them to all sorts of privacy issues.
How to Ensure Online Anonymity: Use VPNThe best way that you can make sure all of your browsing data is kept private is through the use of a VPN. A Virtual Private Network essentially uses a secure server hosted at a remote server as a proxy for all of your internet traffic. This means that although you will be using the internet as normal, anyone spying on you will only be able to see that you are connected to a VPN and nothing else.
We recommend you use NordVPN since it provides the most secure browsing experience when compared to all of the other VPNs in the market. NordVPN is not set up in a fourteen eyes country, and it has all the features that make a VPN safe e.g Encryption, Kill-switch, and DNS leak protection.
Do not worry, using a VPN is completely legal and you will not run into any problems whatsoever. All a VPN does is have your internet connect to a remote server. Since anyone who is spying on you is unable to gain access to the remote server itself, they are unable to see which websites you are visiting.
Other Ways to Protect Your Online PrivacyThere is no way to make sure that you protect your online anonymity as much as possible is through the use of a VPN as mentioned above. However, there are some other ways through which your data can be made even more secure such as the use of anti-virus software.
Use Anti-Virus SoftwareYour privacy is not just under threat by your ISP and the Government, but private entities may also be after you. Viruses, malware, spyware, and ransomware can all target you. Since all of the aforementioned programs are injected into your Operating System as opposed to your internet connection, having a VPN will not be enough to stop them
The best thing you can do is use Anti-Virus Software. Avira is a great security suite that we would recommend for all intents and purposes. There is a Free version with limited capabilities which you can use to give the program a try before purchasing the Premium version which has all of the advanced features.
Use HTTPSAnti-Virus software along with a VPN should be enough for the average user to have a private and secure online experience. However, one last line of defence that you can have is to make sure that you only connect to secure websites which have additional security built into their infrastructure.
Luckily, Google Chrome enforces HTTPS since July 2018, and it is possible for you to force Mozilla Firefox to do the same by going into the settings of the program.
Although online privacy does seem to be something that is non-existent, it is still possible for the savvy and aware internet user to completely protect their connection. Simply follow the steps outlined above and you will not run into any problems when online.