Protecting Your Privacy on the Internet

Corporations and governments claim that they gather personal information from customers and citizens so they can provide a better experience and services for those same people. In truth, corporations and governments use the information to try and gently persuade people into doing something they probably did not think of doing.

When you visit a brick and mortar store, for example, the displays next to the cashiers are set up to encourage you to add value to your purchase. Further, reward programs are helpful to a company and their regular shoppers. Thanks to your use of a company’s reward card or app, they know exactly who bought what, where they bought it, and what time. This allows a company to tailor sales and other promotions at an almost individual basis.

Capture

Governments gather information on their constituents with their intent to provide better services. They are also able to use that information to help tailor their message to different people. Their hardcore supporters will get one message, while those on the fence might get a completely different set of information to encourage those voters to give the candidate a chance.

Now, there are some elements of the population who believe the government will use it to track people—although there is little proof of that. Moreover, with the Internet of Things (IoT) people are becoming more connected and privacy watchdogs, more concerned.

Of course, there are people who do not work for neither corporations nor government, but are interested in your online information for illicit purposes. Many people make the mistake of thinking they are anonymous when online. When you are online, you need to take precautions to protect your identity and your online trail. Blogger, Julie Sartain has some excellent ideas to hide yourself online.

Masking Your IP

One way to prevent others from seeing your online activities is to mask your IP. Every internet connected computer has a unique IP address which makes it possible for someone to trace your computer back to its physical location. Using a VPN or virtual proxy network is one of the most common ways to mask your IP thus keeping your location private.

Hide My Ass

Hide My Ass is a highly popular, if not the most popular VPNs available today. It is particularly useful for users who use bittorrents because of a shutdown feature. If you VPN would lose connection for whatever reason—thus exposing your IP— Hide My Ass automatically shuts down the bittorrent, keeping you protected.

VyprVPN

VyprVPN is another excellent VPN that is reliable and has over 200,000 IPs in servers in approximately 15 countries from around the globe. Its pro service even offers the ability to mask your IP while surfing the web on Android and iOS devices.

Anonymizer

Anonymizer is the VPN that has been in the online protection the longest, so you can be sure you are in good hands with them. Their US-base customer support team is available whenever you need them, and not only that, they designed their system so that it is not possible for them to track an individual’s internet activity. Probably the only downside is that Anonymizer software is pricier than most other VPNs.

Hotspot Shield VPN

Hotspot offers both a free and premium version VPN. It uses software to bypass firewalls and internet filters giving you access to your favorite websites even when you are out of the country. Speaking of traveling, here’s an article about securing your computer when using WiFi hotspots.

Tor

Tor is open source and free for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. It protects your communications by bouncing your signal around a network of volunteer servers. Anyone watching your internet is unable to figure out which sites you are visiting and what you are doing when you visit them. It also prevents websites from learning where you are. Tor is unpopular in countries that practice censorship.

Tor does have a reputation for slowing down your connection so before you get started, you should look into ISP’s that offer speed. If you get Frontier in Clackamas that would be a good start to getting speedy internet, but if that’s not available in your area be sure to search for your best available provider….don’t fall for the provider who pays for the billboard nearest your home, instead reward the best provider, not the largest.

You have a Right to Privacy

Remember, using a VPN does not give one the right to act in a criminal manner. A criminal act hidden by a VPN is still a criminal act. These VPNs were mostly created to protect your information from hackers and people who would use this information to manipulate you. They were not created to facilitate illegal activities.

Whether or not privacy is considered a right within the constitution, you have a right to protect your privacy from corporations and even the government. This list of software is not exhaustive, but they are among the most popular and best when it comes to protecting your online privacy.