If you are unsure whether you need to be concerned with online anonymity, let us give you the simple answer first. Online anonymity is quickly becoming one of the most important things that we as digital citizens should be worried about. As more and more lives are moved to the online space, and as more and more identifiable information is made readily available online, online anonymity has become completely necessary for almost everyone. You think that’s a bold statement?
Read on to learn more because we can’t always rely on the EU GDRP policies set to help our data stay private when you are giving your information to companies. This just adds to the risk, and so you should try as much as you can to minimize all risk. Starting with a VPN is one way to do this.
Why should stay anonymous online
When you are wrestling with the idea of how ‘paranoid’ you should be about your online activity, it may be better to compare your online life with your offline life. How much of your information do you give out to passersby on the street? Do you wear a shirt with your address printed on the front of it? Do you pass out cards with your name, social security number, bank account details and phone number to everyone you see? Our guess is that you most likely do none of those things.
So, why would you give all that information out online? While surfing the web, you would be surprised at how much of your information is relayed to various points all over the world. All that information makes it very easy for anyone who gets their hands on it to wreak havoc on your life – and they certainly try. Still sound like we are being overdramatic? Our point may be a little clearer with some statistics. In the US alone, when it comes to hacking, tens of thousands of websites are hacked on a daily basis, more than 150,000 Facebook pages are hacked every day, and about half of all adults in the country are hacked at some point throughout the year. What are the risks to you, then? Well, there are more than 20 million cases of identity theft in the US, every year. Still think you are being paranoid?
Which tools can you use to maintain online anonymity
When you are looking for privacy on the web, or as they say in Poland try this – prywatność w sieci. There are a few tools that can help you. One of the easiest, most reliable, and most popular are VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). These create a secure encrypted tunnel for your entire internet connection making it much more difficult (oftentimes impossible) for hackers to get ahold of your data.
Other popular tools include use of the TOR network, proxy servers (similar to VPNs but most do not encrypt your data as it relays through the proxy – beware of your ISP!), anonymous email clients, and maintaining safe practices while online.
Our advice to you
Hopefully, we have given you a couple of things to consider. The need to protect yourself online has never been greater and we can see millions of examples and horror stories of the hows and whys that are behind that fact, all around the globe, all the time. Luckily, educating yourself is pretty easy, and the tools that you need to protect yourself are all readily available. The best defence is a good offence.
