A person’s privacy is important. In our era of invasions of privacy and mass monitoring, keeping our digital lives safe is one of the most critical and important issues we face.
You are constantly monitored and tracked online as you browse, type, or talk to someone. Thousands of companies around the world are taking advantage of your personal information and selling it to one firm after another, with troves of aggregated information sitting on their servers.
Name, address, family members, educational background, marital status, employment history, purchase history, interests, habits, and court records. Credit bureaus, data brokers, and marketers exploit your entire history for financial gain, from your identity to your most personal details. Victims of violations of privacy include the marginalized, welfare recipients, dissidents, activists, journalists, and anyone else who may threaten the status quo.
Use a password manager to protect your accounts
Nowadays, there are so many passwords to remember that it’s nearly impossible to do so. The average person ends up with hundreds of passwords written down everywhere, on post-its and refrigerators, in note apps and screenshots. The most common passwords are “123456” and, well, “password”. Because of this, credential stuffing, where attackers use stolen or leaked usernames and passwords to log into other websites with these credentials, has become increasingly prevalent, and account takeovers are on the rise.
Using a password manager is the best way to safeguard your privacy. Using a password manager makes it easy to create strong, unique passwords for all your accounts, manage your passwords all in one place, and prevent compromised accounts from breaking the whole system.
To protect yourself against credential stuffing attacks when you buy hash online, you should use a password manager. The first time you install a password manager, it can take a bit of time, but you’re better off in the long run. Then you don’t have to worry about forgotten passwords or locked-out accounts. Among the password managers available are free and open-source options, as well as highly-rated paid services.
It is highly recommended to use a dedicated password manager rather than a browser-based manager. 1Password is the best option if you’re willing to pay. The security community loves 1Password. This app facilitates synchronization of passwords between your phone and computer, provides a level of security that is unbeatable, and serves as an authentication app as well. A monthly fee of $3 is not free, but it is still a good deal. You can test it out for 30 days for free if you aren’t quite sold on it.
You can try LastPass if you are looking for a free manager. Syncing across devices and platforms is available, just like 1Password. Bitwarden is a suitable open-source option if you are looking for a free option.
A password manager can help you identify duplicate or weak passwords as soon as you set it up. To create unique, randomly generated passwords, use the manager. Logging into accounts online enables you to save credentials quickly to the manager. Many password managers offer both mobile apps and browser extensions. You will also want to install them on your phone and web browser. Your passwords need to be updated slowly over time as you generate new ones. No more forgetting passwords.
Protect yourself from public WiFi networks with a VPN
You should utilize a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when connecting to the internet through public or unprotected WiFi networks. In coffee shops, airports, or other places where free public WiFi is offered, unprotected networks may be used to commit identity theft.
Much of the web traffic on these networks is transmitted in plain text, making it easy for thieves to intercept browsing activity, emails, login credentials, and credit card information.
It has even been reported that hackers use “WiFi honeypots” – dummy access points – at public events to intercept data and install malware on connected devices. A VPN protects your privacy by encrypting the information you send over a network, creating a virtual tunnel that makes hacking difficult and makes IP based tracking difficult. It’s possible to set up a VPN using a free service or a paid one.
Using a private web browser will allow you to browse anonymously
There are a variety of tools and browsers you can use to browse anonymously online, whether to avoid online tracking, prevent targeted advertising, or defend against government censorship.
In essence, Tor Browser (The Onion Router) runs on a free network that operates entry nodes, relays, and exit nodes that encrypt your web traffic. This makes your web traffic anonymous. No extensions or plugins should be installed on Tor, since they can be exploited easily. A major disadvantage to using Tor is that it can be significantly slower at times than most other browsers, so you should only use it if privacy is a top priority. Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux are all supported.
A similar browser, Brave, is aimed at providing privacy and security. As well as an integrated ad blocker and default settings that block malware, Brave has a bunch of tools and settings to help you browse privately. Its servers do not collect data on visitors and it does not sell them to third parties. The company is not in the personal data business. Browsers for Windows, Mac, and Linux are available from Brave, while smartphones are available from Apple and Google.
If you plan to stick with Firefox, Firefox’s Multi-Account Containers can be of help. Cookies are separated by container using multi-account containers, which use color-coded tabs to separate cookies. Thus, your browsing activity is separated from other accounts, so tracking scripts cannot follow you between them. The Firefox website provides more information on multi-account containers.
In addition to helping you remain anonymous online when you shop for hash, private browsers can help you hide your location and prevent your activity from being tracked, but they aren’t foolproof. You will want to make sure that you use a private browser alongside other privacy tools recommended here, such as connecting to your VPN before opening Tor, to protect yourself the best way possible.
You can still minimize tracking and protect your privacy while browsing if you prefer to use a major browser like Google Chrome or Apple Safari.
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