Whenever we browse the Internet, it is very important to maintain security and avoid problems that affect our devices and data. There are many factors that can influence one way or another. Now, there are two points that are essential, but are not always present: privacy and anonymity . They are not the same. In this article we are going to explain what they are and what we can do to improve both cases when we use the network.
Why we must protect data on the Internet
First of all, it should be mentioned that protecting our data , our personal information, is something fundamental on the Internet. It is a reality that they have great value on the web. They can be used to include us in spam campaigns, send targeted advertising or even profit from selling that information to third parties.
Simply by browsing the Internet , by accessing a web page, there are many data that we can expose. There are many actors who are looking for a way to collect all this information. For example through cookies in navigation, permissions that we grant in social networks to know data related to the location or sites that we follow, programs that we install and may have trackers …
All of this can put our privacy and anonymity on the web at risk. Although sometimes it may seem the same, the truth is that there are differences. Of course, we can take into account some common tips to improve it. We are going to explain what each term consists of.
What does privacy mean on the Internet
First of all we are going to explain what privacy means on the Internet . It is a term that refers to the ability to keep a series of data, files and information in general exclusively for someone or a company. It will not be available for third parties to collect it.
We can put two simple examples of both a physical device and an online service: a mobile phone and the email account. Privacy means that our mobile phone is not available without a password or lock so that anyone can see the messages and content we have. The same would happen in the email account in the event that an intruder could read the messages.
Internet privacy consists of preventing possible intruders from accessing our data . For example, an application collects information about the use we make, the messages or photos we store.
What is anonymity on the net
On the other hand, another very present term on the Internet and that we must know is that of anonymity . Although it may be related to privacy, it is a different matter. Being anonymous is using any program or device but without revealing our identity. Basically it is as if we were walking down the street with our faces covered, but transferred to browsing the Internet.
If we do a quick comparison regarding privacy, in that case Internet users, the pages we visit, would know who we are. They would know our email address or social network profile, for example. On the other hand, with anonymity, they would not know what user it is.
The purpose of privacy was to prevent our data and information from being leaked. However, anonymity goes further and prevents a third party from knowing who is behind a certain action.
Tips to improve privacy and anonymity on the Internet
We have explained what privacy and anonymity on the Internet consist of. They are two different terms, although they may have common objectives. Now we are going to see some recommendations that we can take into account in order to improve it.
Do not expose more data than necessary
One of the main tips is not to expose more data than is really necessary. This means, for example, avoiding making our email address or personal information public when using Internet forums or posting comments on websites.
Also, by registering on services or platforms that may be dangerous, we could be giving data that can be used by third parties and put our privacy at risk. It is something that we must take care of and take into account.
Use strong passwords
Of course an important point to always maintain our privacy on the network and also benefit anonymity is to always use passwords that are strong and complex. We must avoid simple keys, which can be easily found out. A correct password would be one that is totally random, that has letters (upper and lower case), numbers and other special symbols.
A password helps us protect our accounts and devices from potential intruders. It allows us to prevent third parties from accessing personal information, data that we may have stored on a computer.
Always protect systems
We must also keep in mind the importance of properly protecting our systems. A good antivirus, for example, can help prevent the entry of malware that could put our computers at risk. There are many threats on the network, but there are also many options that we have to be protected.
This is something that we must apply to any operating system that we are using. There are none that are exempt from suffering some kind of cyber attack. Hence, we must always have software capable of helping protect us and keep out potential intruders that compromise privacy.
Keep equipment up-to-date
But it is also essential to have the equipment properly updated . On many occasions, vulnerabilities can arise that are exploited by hackers to carry out their attacks. Thanks to patches and updates we can correct these errors and keep systems safe.
Of course, when we install an update we must make sure that we are doing it from official sources. There are many cases in which we can come across programs created simply in a malicious way to steal information and that pretend to be legitimate software updates.
Use tools like VPN
If we want to maintain anonymity on the network, there is no better way than to use a VPN program . Its mission is to encrypt all the content that we send when visiting a web page, for example. It hides the real IP address and in this way we achieve that anonymity is present and they cannot collect information about where we are, what device we use, etc.
We have many options in this regard, since we find free and paid VPNs, multiplatform, with more or less encryption … We must choose one that adequately protects our data and is not a problem.
Download software from legitimate sites
One more thing to keep in mind is to avoid downloading software from sites that may be unsafe. You must only download from trusted pages, from official stores that do not offer software that may be dangerous or that has been maliciously modified.
Ultimately, privacy and anonymity are two different issues. We must keep both safe at all times. We have given some tips to achieve this and prevent possible intruders from getting hold of our data.