Why Encrypt Your Internet Traffic?
Why do we need to ensure the security of our connection to the internet? A simple question with a fundamental answer. We need to secure our privacy, our data, and our movements from prying eyes to protect ourselves from abuse. We can see how big corporations are moving towards protecting themselves, and what they represent, from becoming a victim of a data breach. Malicious intent is evident in so many different ways. Encryption is now a common word that is being thrown around in forums and such. We see all types of people from commercial entities to private individuals encrypting their data. We may not personally see the full extent of the damage a hacker has caused a company, but we know abuse. If we won’t let anyone abuse us physically, why would we allow it digitally?
But for some, security just means anonymity. Maybe some people just don’t want other people to know their activity while connected. Perhaps they wish to remain anonymous in a digital social world. And for others, they just don’t want the government, or their Internet Service Provider to know what they are doing online.
Whatever the purpose may be, here are some recommendations on how you can secure your internet connection from hackers.
How To Secure Your Internet Connection and Flow
1. Use the right browser.
The Tor browser may be slow, but it has a reason for it. It encrypts your data as you view and go about your surfing through the internet. This browser uses the TOR network (The Onion Router), which is a series of relay connections that encrypts and makes your internet connection anonymous. It covers your internet presence in different layers of encryption and never revealing your actual IP address.
As it is slow, due to the encryption process, use standard browsers, like Chrome and Firefox, for your daily browsing needs, especially if they are not security-intensive operations.
2. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Seeing that
63% of people are concerned about identity theft, and
45% on online financial fraud, the importance of having that extra layer of security seems valid. Using a VPN is the most effective means of protecting your connection. It covers your internet traffic in layers of encryption and hides your IP Address at the same time. It gives you a new IP Address that would coincide with an IP address in another nation. It functions like a Tor browser, but a VPN connection hides all of your internet traffic. Some VPNs would have browser extensions and also a primary application that installs into your device. It also enables you, the user, to navigate and bypass hindrances caused by geographical location or restrictions set by your nation’s Internet Service Providers.
3. Use an Encrypted Messaging Service
Not all messaging services are equal. Some have encryption embedded into it. Communication is crucial for our privacy and security. These messaging services have end-to-end encryption, some of which only encrypt texts and messages, while others encrypt text messages, videos, and even calls. But to be able to enjoy encrypted messaging service, both ends of the communication must be using the same application. An example would be Apple Messages and Whatsapp.
4. Use the Basic Encryption of your Local Network Router
Turn on your primary security feature in your router by placing a username and password. It sounds simple, but this step can protect your local network. It is not a highly secured protection (as hackers know the vulnerabilities that exist in routers and the encryption method it uses), but it is still protection, nonetheless.
5. Use HTTPS://
YouTube uses https. Your email messaging service uses it. Having https connects you to a secure and encrypted connection. Though some sites only offer https for their financial transactions or their login pages, some of the most prominent sites offer https on all their pages. It builds trust between content maker and consumer, or buyer and seller. Having an https connection provides a layer of encryption that protects the data and information sent and received at both ends of the site.
Conclusion: Make Secured Connection a Priority
You may say to yourself; I’m just a person that keeps my money and documents in a physical container that is not connected, in any way, to the internet. If this is you, you might be thinking: I’m not in danger of being hacked. You may be right, but only up to a point. If you have friends and family that connects to you on social media or any trending app, you should be the first to protect them. Having your data in your devices compromised in an unsecured environment will endanger them as well. You are right that hackers cannot reach your physical stuff, but there is no stopping them from using you, unknowingly, to send nasty malicious software to them. Let us not be a tool that hackers can use to reach our circle of influence.
