COVID-19 and VPN: How to Protect Your Privacy Online
Due to the countermeasures to the coronavirus, people are more dependent on the internet. This necessity makes them more susceptible to many different forms of cyber threats, including the new trends that emerge due to COVID-19. During the first week of March, the cyber-attacks reached nearly a million per day.
Fortunately, there are ways to protect your data. Since you're forced to stay indoors, it's normal that you'll turn to the internet to find entertainment, relevant information, news, music, etc. The internet is also one of the best ways to maintain communication with loved ones. With all this in mind, here is how to protect your privacy online during these difficult times.
Prevent Apps and Websites from Tracking You
Each time you open your browser, certain apps and websites track your online traffic, trying to get your personal information. There are many ways to test your browser and get suggestions on how to improve your protection.
Tracking on its own isn’t that bad, but you can get rid of those annoying ads you see all the time if you prevent these apps and websites from tracking you. There is a range of browser extensions that can tell you which website is sending tracking requests your way and even allow you to block certain tracking requests. It has never been more important to safeguard your privacy than today. A VPN can help you do this and more.
Get a VPN
Most internet users rely on anti-malware or antivirus programs. Nowadays, this security measure is no longer enough. When it comes to protecting your privacy and personal information, you should get a reliable VPN (Virtual Private Network). Such tools guarantee anonymity and privacy when browsing. Furthermore, military-grade VPN encryption is a feature that protects users’ data and web traffic from being intercepted and misused.
The VPN market has exploded in the last couple of years, and such tools have become irreplaceablein terms of protection for both ordinary internet users and businesses.
This is mostly due to a wide range of amazing features that a VPN provides. You can use it to access the internet without any limitations or restrictions. VPNs prevent third parties from tracking you online. They give access to geo-restricted content, enhance safety and privacy, and allow you to access a number of servers. Use your VPN when you connect to the internet to encrypt your connection, hide your IP, and mask your location.
Speaking about VPNs: the latest protocols such as PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, and so on will ensure the optimal levels of security, anonymity, and privacy users need. Since VPNs play such an important role today, make sure that your VPN service provider utilizes the latest security protocols and VPN updates.
Unload Your System by Removing Unused Services
The more you use the internet, the more you sign up for websites, newsletters, and many other services online. People use their Facebook or Google accounts to skip the registration processes when accessing new sites or services. Unfortunately, these actions allow access to your personal information across a variety of websites. It is relatively simple to perform a productive spring cleaning of your old accounts. If you no longer use a specific account, do not allow it to use your data for profit and marketing strategies.
Control Your Social Media
Social media is also one of the prevalent sources of hacks. One of the latest news refers to a man in Bangor who managed to access and steal data from a number of social media profiles. Since you will be spending more time on social media than usual, there are certain things you should pay attention to:
- Identity theft – social networking exposes you to identity theft and personal data abuse.
- Cyberstalking – cybercriminals can easily track your posts and follow your activities online.
- Third-party data sharing – your personal information makes a nice prize in the eyes of hackers, fraudsters, and ad-agencies.
- Data scraping – hackers and businesses use social media platforms to gather valuable data they can use to achieve their goals.
- Personal information leaks – people use social media to share their private, sensitive, and intimate information. This information can be intercepted, leaked, and used for harassment or blackmail.
Conclusion
As the world keeps relying on the internet to keep spinning,internet users will have to learn to go with the flow. The internet is the most abundant source of information on the planet, but it's also swarming with dangers. In such a digital environment, having a range of security and protection solutions seems like a wise move. A good VPN can mask your IP address and encrypt all your data transmissions long after the COVID-19 pandemic is handled.
