Online privacy is a concern for every internet user, and You don't need to worry about online privacy unless you have something to hide, right?'
It's not just the government watching your every move, either. Advertisers, social networks, and even email companies collect a huge amount of user data. So, Here are a few greatest online privacy tips that Protect you.
1.) Avoid popular online consumer services like Google, Facebook, and Dropbox.
If you'd rather spend a week without food than a day without Facebook, you're not alone.world's most infamous NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden listed Facebook and Google as "dangerous services" users should avoid to protect their online privacy.
Google and Facebook have each had their share of privacy scandals
over the years and have taken steps to improve, he noted. It's not
enough, though. Their data protection and privacy controls still aren't
up to snuff, according to Snowden.
Another major offender? Dropbox, an online storage solution Snowden
skewered for its lack of local encryption. Instead, he recommends
services like SpiderOak, whose local encryption means the server never even knows the plaintext contents of the data it's storing.
2.) Encrypt your hard drive.
You might already use password protection on your files, but that's
just the first step in protecting the contents of your hard drive.
Encrypting your entire hard drive offers protection in case your
computer is ever lost or stolen (or seized). You don't have to be a
techy to do it.
Some newer operating systems have built-in disk encryption tools such
as BitLocker, which is standard with Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise,
as well as 8.1 Pro and Enterprise. OS X users can use the built-in FileVault 2 encryption tool, while Linux users can opt for a distribution like Ubuntu, with a built-in Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS).
A decent external solution is Symantec's Endpoint Encryption, which also offers data loss protection and will run you around $111 per year. It also protects your removable media.
3.) Avoid online tracking with browser plug-ins.
Advertisers and brands collect an incredible amount of user data, in
order to personalize shopping experiences and better target audiences
with ads.
Even if you appreciate the customized shopping experience inherent to
this retailer data collection, you have to remember that others can
probably see your activity, too.
Browsers like Chrome and Internet Explorer 10 now offer do-not-track
settings, but adding a browser plug-in adds an extra layer of protection
and anonymity.
Ghostery
is one of the more popular options and is available for Chrome, Opera,
Firefox, Safari, and mobile systems Android, iOS and Firefox Android. It
will show you the number of trackers detected and give you the option
to block them en masse.
4.) Encrypt online communications in chat and email.
Protect your online communications and even your phone calls with encryption services.
Silent Circle
bills itself as "the world's solution to mobile privacy" and was
designed to protect mobile users from widespread data collection. They
offer a variety of voice, text, video, and file transfer encryption
packages for individuals and business users.
You can encrypt your email in Microsoft Outlook, or use a Web-based email service with built-in encryption, like Hushmail.
For online chatting, try a service like ChatCrypt, which encrypts messages before they leave the browser, making them visible only to the opposite end user with the password.
5.) Use Tor for online browsing.
Once the gold standard for anonymous online browsing, Tor's reputation was tarnished this past summer when its creators were forced to admit it wasn't impenetrable.
Tor
stands for 'The Onion Router' and was so named because of its multiple
layers of security. Basically, it bounces your communications around a
network of relays, making it difficult (if not impossible) for anyone to
track your online activity. The websites you visit aren't able to
collect data that would expose your physical location, for example, and
you can access content that might otherwise be unavailable to people in
your region.
The creators of Tor readily admit, "Tor can't solve all anonymity
problems; it focuses only on protecting the transport of data." Still,
it's a useful open-source tool for those concerned about their privacy.
