How to protect your online activity from hackers

Picture 1 of How to protect your online activity from hackers

Truth be told, most ISPs know what you're up to. Google definitely does, hence hitting you with advertising and marketing and knowing where you are (if you have location services enabled on your phone).

Then, of course, there's the worry of hackers getting to you. So,you've got every reason to have that worry when you go online. But you can put that at ease if you know how to protect your online activity. And it's pretty simple to do.

The digital age

Everyone in today's society has some form of computer or tablet or smartphone that connects them online. Okay, maybe not everyone, but those draconianfolks who don't are often reminded by the younger generation to get online! We use the internet for everything, from checking the weather to watching movies on Netflix, streaming music, shopping – the list goes on.

Of course, for companies and businesses to succeed, there are measures in place where they can target you for marketing purposes. And, of course, that means that hackers are always present, trying to catch you out.

We've all had a spam email, and not just the African princes, we mean the ones that look just like a real brand trying to encourage you to click through to a dodgy site. Then, of course, there are a huge number of websites to peruse, and you don't know how safe they all are. That's where hackers can strike, but you can take some steps to make sure they can't get to you.

There'skeeping safe; then there's using a VPN

Obviously, there are various techniques you can use to keep yourself safe when you're online. But these rely on you being smart and sensible on the websites you visit. If it looks suspicious, then close it immediately. If there's anything that looks askew and asks you to input your details, run for the hills.

And if you plan on streaming or downloading from a site which you shouldn't be, then remember you can be tracked. The best way to rise above all this and enjoy the best protection is to utilise a virtual private network, or as they're most commonly known – VPNs.

VPNs work by giving you complete privacy, hiding your IP address so when you go online, to all intents and purposes your 'presence' is coming from somewhere else.

For instance, you might have an IP address in your home country, but with a VPN it'd show up in Mexico, or anywhere else in the world, so any website or hacker etc. looking into that IP address won't know it's you at all. This is great when you're online on your desktop, laptop or smartphone as your data will be securely encrypted.

Then, all those websites you want to visit but hide your presencewill be completely hidden. And better yet, the security involved means cybercriminals won't be able to get hold of your information.

Of course, when you are looking for a VPN, you want to get one of the best providers. One that has top-notch security, an excellent reputation and will leave you full of confidence that your details are safe when you're online. So, check out one of the leading online VPN providers and see what they can do for you.

What to look for in a VPN?

The most basic VPNs will help in hiding your IP address. But you want to make sure you have one that gives you complete security the entire time you're online. Have a look at the best VPN providers, and you'll notice the added features that offer optimal safety.

That includes the best security encryption technology, which is a must. You also want one that doesn't limit your download speeds, especially if you're streaming US Netflix or other video content.

As your IP address is your online presence, it's the one thing you want to keep safe. VPNs can suffer faults, just like all technology. You don't want a VPN that can disconnect and reveal your IP address, so it's important to look for one that has a kill-switch – if the VPN does disconnect, then it disconnects you from being online too.

Once you've found your ideal VPN from one of the leading providers, you'll have everything you need to protect your online activity. Hackers won't know where you're logging in from, won't be able to access your information and won't be able to cause you any harm. Sounds like a good thing to have, doesn't it?

Lesley Montoya

Update 02 August 2020