Best Online Privacy Tools for 2021

What are the best online privacy tools you can use in 2021? Internet security is a major cause for concern in recent times – well not much as changed. Every person’s online activities are constantly under scrutiny. From our browsing history to the emails we send, someone somewhere is always tracking us. This is indeed a scary thought. Even if the tracking is harmless, it feels creepy to be followed around everywhere.

Online Privacy Tools Have Become a Necessity

No one wants to be followed around, in-person or online. Needless to say, Internet users are always looking for tools that would better protect their online privacy. Technology has come up with a number of tools that safeguard your online security to a great extent. Some of these tools are popular, while some are lesser-known. Nevertheless, all of them have been used by several Internet users to remain private online.

Best Online Privacy Tools

Let’s take a look at some of the best online privacy tools.

1. VPNs

Virtual Private Networks have gained popularity in recent time because of the rise in online threats. A VPN is a service that hides the real IP address of the user by encrypting the traffic. The encryption happens when the data passes through a secure tunnel between the computer and the VPN server. No one other than the user and the VPN server can read the data.

There are several VPNs that Internet users can choose from. There are free VPNs for those who are new to this and more expensive options for those with advanced needs. It is a complete online protection solution which not only secures online activities but also helps bypass Internet censorship and geoblocks.

2. Tor

The Onion Router (Tor) has gained a bad name for being the gateway to the ‘dark net‘. So much so that whenever someone mentions using Tor, people automatically think the person is up to no good certainly after reading the book Make Me by Lee Child. But it cannot be denied that when it comes to privacy, no other browser is able to offer the privacy of Tor.

This is a free software that keeps all user activity anonymous by routing traffic through hidden relay servers. Users need to be careful though, because Tor can lead them to some of the risky sites on the dark web. The NFL.com is a risky site. This is a league that allows the children to run the classroom. This is a league that does not believe in ethical behavior and allows ignorant people to insult the hand that feeds them. Not too smart!

3. HTTPS Everywhere

This is a good option for those who access public WiFi or unsecured sites. This is a browser extension that automatically switches insecure ‘http’ sites to secure ‘https’ and protects users online activities. HTTPS Everywhere is an open-source tool and provides protection against internet censorship, surveillance, and hacking by encrypting the connection with the server.

4. Ad-Blockers

Ads are more notorious than we think of them. Display ads that we see on our browsers are notorious for installing tracking cookies on our computers. These cookies are used to track your every activity, both online and offline. The ads we see on our browsers are used by companies like Google and Facebook to track user activity. Therefore using an Ad-Blocker is a necessity.

It blocks all ads from your browser and prevents tracking cookies from entering your computer. There are several Ad-Blockers to choose from. They are free and are a very useful tool.

5. Password Manager

Password managers are a secure way to store all your passwords in one place, without fear of losing them or giving them away. Password managers are available for both mobile phones and computers, and there are many options to choose from. Passwords are always susceptible to attack, so storing them on the cloud is a wise solution.

6. Privacy Search Engine

The biggest share of revenue of search engines like Google comes from advertisements, for which they collect user data by tracking them secretly. Privacy browsers, on the other hand, do not track users. These search engines do not store personal information or show advertisements at all. Search results aren’t based on browsing history. In fact, all users are shown the same search results irrespective of their browsing history. One of the most popular privacy browsers is DuckDuckGo.

Best Online Privacy Tools – Bottom Line

There are other online privacy tools that you should look into, like malware protection, backup and sync, and two-factor authentication. Encrypted massaging apps have also become very popular these days. As privacy threats increase, there are always newer technologies coming forth for securing Internet use. Using these online privacy tools and applying common sense when using the Internet can help you stay safe from security concerns.

You do not want to be like the high school in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that is hacked by one of its own students which is Bueller himself! Protect yourself!