The world is in permanent change and online privacy is no exception from this rule, even though it seems that some people tend to consider it more of a relic of the past than something worth investing in. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth: a study released by AnchorFree, the company behind Hotspot Shield VPN, confirmed that Americans are much more concerned about online privacy and security than they were in 2016. And here are the reasons why:
The survey shows that 84% of the over 1,000 Hotspot Shield VPN clients who participated in the study are indeed more concerned about this topic than ever. Not surprisingly, one of biggest concerns regarding this matter is the inauguration of Donald Trump as President and the alleged hacking of the elections by Russia. However, there are others factors too, like the increasing number of vulnerable IoT devices from smart home solutions to even toys, baby monitors and much more. Actually, the latter is such a serious matter that the Federal Trade Commission has launched a challenge to reward those who contribute the most to solve this concern.
Data breaches and the fear of having personal information stolen, were also mentioned as the main reason for concerns, which, after the Yahoo case, where one billion account details were acquired, is absolutely justifiable. And, sadly, trends show this will only get worse, as companies actively collect and share personal information, many times breaking their own privacy policies. Last but not least, the study also mentions that DDoS and ransomwareattacks are becoming so common, it already affects bigger corporations and even public services.
AnchorFree’s report states that this year will indeed be a challenge for online privacy, since serious data breaches will become more frequent, while our private information will be used as currency by hackers and companies.
But now that we mentioned VPN, it would be the best to cut to the chase right away and recommend you this kind of software. VPNs are the best way possible to protect yourself against malicious intents, since they allow you to mask your real location while having your online activities and data protected by the best encryptions and protocols in the world. However, keep in mind that a VPN won’t do all the work: you must be self-conscious about the dangers of the online world. To achieve full-on protection, you should avoid non-secure websites, use different and safe login details for each service, and stay away from shady public Wi-Fi hotspots.
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