Popular messaging app WhatsApp has come under fire for its new privacy policy, indicating that user data will be shared with Facebook moving forward. Since the incident, users have shown great interest in how they can protect their data—a trend that’s been growing for the past year.
Protecting your data isn’t complicated, but it takes time to set up the proper software. Below are four tools that will help you maintain your privacy online.
4 Tools to Maintain Online Privacy
1. Physical Webcam and Screen Covers
The public doesn’t trust webcams. In fact, most don’t trust any sort of camera in their device. It’s easy to think about how companies could use webcams or regular cameras to spy on users and see what they’re doing. This even went as far as to create controversy over a toon cat spying on people.
Nowadays, many laptops with webcams come outfitted with built-in slide covers that allow users to cover the webcam. However, not all do. If yours doesn’t, you can easily use a piece of tape or Velcro to cover the webcam.
2. Virtual Private Networks
Public networks offer visitors a way to stay connected while out and about. However, the convenience public networks offer pales in comparison to the horror that is public network security.
Because public networks are designed to be used by anyone, they lack critical security processes, such as encryption. Most cybersecurity experts would tell you to avoid public networks altogether, but that’s not always possible.
If you need to use a public network, always connect to a VPN first. If you are wondering what a VPN is for, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your data and ensures that no one on the public network can see your activity or steal your data.
3. Signal
WhatsApp’s latest scandal has caused the app’s competition to gain higher ground, the most popular amongst its competition being Signal, another messaging app dedicated to privacy.
Signal offers users end-to-end encryption for messages and comes with tons of privacy and security settings, so users know how the app is running. And unlike WhatsApp, Signal shares no data with any business or a large corporation.
Big names in tech and cybersecurity have endorsed Signal, such as Elon Musk and Edward Snowden. With such big names endorsing Signal, how could it not be good? So many people have moved to Signal—so many, in fact, that the service experienced an outage a few days back.
4. Anti-Tracking Software
User data equals profit in the eyes of ISPs, corporations, and even governments. For this reason, many Internet users are having their data logged, stored, and sold by these entities. Any website can track you, store cookies regarding what you do, and vice versa.
If you don’t want to be tracked wherever you go on the Internet, install an anti-tracking extension onto your browser Extensions like Privacy Badger detect and disable website trackers, cookies, and other tracking software unless specified not to.
Conclusion
From remote workers who need assurance on their security to people burned by WhatsApp, many Internet users are seeking ways to protect their privacy online. With these four tips, you’ll be able to use the Internet without having to worry about a random data breach.
