Boost Your Online Privacy: Six Go-To Apps That Do the Job

Scrolling through the deluge of articles reporting data hacks or breaches is becoming an everyday activity—luckily, there are applications to facilitate your efforts. Check out our top six recommendations that will undoubtedly become your best allies in defending your privacy and providing online security.

Researching news about cyber security has become part of the daily routine for many people. The more technology evolves, the harder it becomes to protect online privacy. Today, data hacks and information leaks are two of the most common dangers, of the many existing threats, escalating in cyberspace.

Large organizations must continuously deal with the issue of protecting their data and eliminating the potential threats as new ones appear. Fortunately for them, big companies have enough time and money to implement cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions. But what about individuals? How do you protect yourself from being tracked or hacked and keep your sensitive data safe while surfing the Internet?

AkrutoSync

AkrutoSync is software that can sync Outlook data with any smartphone or tablet. It enables Outlook power users to increase their productivity by managing Outlook data from smartphones or tablets, and automatically syncing any changes across all connected devices.

AkrutoSync works via Wi-Fi or over the Internet and synchronizes everything including Outlook calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes. It does its job without storing any data on 3rd party servers, so you can be confident that no one can ever intercept or compromise any sensitive data you store in Outlook. As stated earlier, AkrutoSync is a multiplatform solution, meaning you can sync Outlook data with any Android, iOS or WP device. The number of connected devices is not limited so you can connect all your devices to the same desktop-running Outlook and have updated data on each of them.

Ghostery

Before going onto the open web, the most important thing to remember is that technically it’s possible to spy on any online activity. Activity can be traced through tracking, which websites utilize for purposes such as targeting ads, improving UX, generating analytics, and more.

However, it is also possible to avoid tracking. Ghostery is a special browser plugin which provides user privacy and guarantees that whatever users do on the Internet is kept confidential. You no longer have to worry about your personal information, data location, or targeted ads, as the software will ensure third parties are not able to access any of this information.

Additionally, the software is suitable not only for PC but iOS and Android as well. It is easy-to-use and completely free of charge, which makes Ghostery a great deal to try.

Website: www.ghostery.com

Tor browser

For those users who need to maintain anonymity when surfing the open web, making use of Tor browser, which is completely self-contained, is a great option; the browser actually anonymizes traffic. It runs The Onion Router whose main focus is web traffic redirection, meaning traffic is routed to various other sources before arriving at its intended destination.

You may wonder who this browser is suitable for. There is a huge misconception that Tor browser is used mainly by drug dealers or hackers to hide their malicious online activity. In reality, you don’t have to be a criminal to make use of Tor, as it can be used by anyone who needs to stay anonymous while being on the Internet. Plus, Tor browser will work both on Android and iOS, in the event you need run it on a mobile device.

Website: www.torproject.org

AdBlock

The majority of users, if not all, know the pain that comes with ads. Running into multiple advertisements every time you decide to scroll through websites quickly becomes tiresome. Fortunately, there is a way to escape annoying banner ads by downloading and installing AdBlock.

AdBlock is handy software that does a great job blocking advertisements, as well as ensuring anonymity and maintaining user privacy. An additional benefit includes the ability for users to choose and block only selected websites. However, you should note that some sites have already designed tools to detect ad blocking software. Therefore, it is recommended you use other software in addition to AdBlock for better user privacy.

Website: adblockplus.org

Privacy Badger

Developed by Electronic Freedom Foundation, Privacy Badger is an extension for web browsers designed to secure user privacy. The plugin itself may resemble Adblock Plus, as it was based on its code, however, Privacy Badger comes with more enhanced functions such as automated filtering and ad blocking capabilities.

Once Privacy Badger is installed, it begins developing logs that contain domains from particular websites. The plugin primarily looks for similar domains—an indication of tracking. Next, Privacy Badger automatically blocks those domains, which provides users a cleaner browsing process if repeated frequently.

Website: www.eff.org/privacybadger

HTTPS Everywhere

HTTPS Everywhere is another great tool that belongs to Electronic Freedom Foundation. Its main objective is providing reliable and secure web connections. The browser extension is an open source and completely free.

Although HTTPS is an inseparable part of the Internet today, some websites that support HTTPS may still default to HTTP, bringing all the dangers of an unencrypted connection. HTTPS Everywhere can fix the issue due to its clever technology that enables the extension to rewrite HTTP requests and change them to HTTPS. HTTPS Everywhere will effectively help you boost security while browsing. Moreover, it is easy-to-navigate and the installation process takes only a few minutes.

Website: www.eff.org/ru/https-everywhere