Most people seem to think that they absolutely must use a VPN because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up protecting their privacy online. However, it turns out that VPNs are not as necessary as you might be assuming. Indeed, using a VPN might actually harm your privacy more than might have been the case otherwise since the company that owns the VPN will have full and unrestricted access to all of your private and personal data.
According to expert Shira Ovide, VPNs are next to useless for privacy protection. Instead, it would be better if you simply created a robust password and enabled two factor authentication. Switching from Google to a more privacy oriented search engine such as DuckDuckGo can also be useful if you don’t want anyone spying on your search history particularly if it involves the discussion of sensitive matters.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Ovide also touched on the importance of identity theft protection. Needless to say, she was skeptical about the usefulness of this service. Identity protection services claim to keep an eye on the internet and take action on your behalf if they discover that your identity was stolen. What’s more, they claim to be able to provide you with at least partial compensation for any and all financial losses that were incurred.
In spite of the fact that this is the case, these services are not all that valuable with all things having been considered and taken into account. It’s best to take things into your own hands and monitor potential threats yourself, especially if you recently learned that a database that you were included in got hacked.
Identity theft can leave some tell-tale signs, such as someone other than you trying to use your credit card. In such events, you can shut down or freeze the card entirely, which is basically what an identity protection service would have done for you anyway except they would have required you to jump through more hoops.
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According to expert Shira Ovide, VPNs are next to useless for privacy protection. Instead, it would be better if you simply created a robust password and enabled two factor authentication. Switching from Google to a more privacy oriented search engine such as DuckDuckGo can also be useful if you don’t want anyone spying on your search history particularly if it involves the discussion of sensitive matters.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Ovide also touched on the importance of identity theft protection. Needless to say, she was skeptical about the usefulness of this service. Identity protection services claim to keep an eye on the internet and take action on your behalf if they discover that your identity was stolen. What’s more, they claim to be able to provide you with at least partial compensation for any and all financial losses that were incurred.
In spite of the fact that this is the case, these services are not all that valuable with all things having been considered and taken into account. It’s best to take things into your own hands and monitor potential threats yourself, especially if you recently learned that a database that you were included in got hacked.
Identity theft can leave some tell-tale signs, such as someone other than you trying to use your credit card. In such events, you can shut down or freeze the card entirely, which is basically what an identity protection service would have done for you anyway except they would have required you to jump through more hoops.
Read next: Gen Z Dominates Game Installs and In-App Purchases
