In a world that’s growing more connected by the day, there are plenty of benefits, opportunities, and exciting things all in the palm of our hands. Globalization led humanity to a point where no human needs to feel isolated, and where the world’s economy is so interconnected that everyone needs to work together. From connecting communities with niche interests to implementing changes to our social preconceptions, the internet led to a complete restructuring of human thought. The fundamental changes that the internet brought include changing how we process information, store knowledge, perceived social injustice, do business, and so much more. But this revolution of human life did come at a cost.
The cost of this monumental change is privacy. People becoming increasingly interconnected meant that there was less room for private matters. This could be at a very surface level, like people growing up on social media where they share their entire lives online. But there’s also the more insidious background of losing privacy. And that’s when apple platforms, websites, or even people siphon your private information so that others may use it.
That’s where VPNs come in to help. They are one of the most important online tools in 2023 if you want to keep your privacy safe and secure. Having a DuckDuckGo VPN combo allows you to protect yourself on both the surface level and in the background. While the search engine doesn’t collect your data for advertisers, the VPN protects you from the sites you actually visit. By using multiple layers of protection you’re ensuring no malicious software reaches your device.
What Is a VPN
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It’s a network you can connect to that isn’t in your location. Through it, you increase your privacy as it reroutes your information through various servers. That way if someone tries to steal your data, like a scammer or a corporation trying to make you malleable to their products, they’ll have to go through multiple protected networks that host thousands of active accounts. To visualize, hacking through a VPN would be like trying to lockpick a moving car on a busy highway without knowing if that’s even the right car.
While they aren’t the be-all-end-all protection, especially for large businesses, VPNs are perfect for everyday people. They protect you from the most common type of data gathering, and that’s from data miners and big corporations. Unlike scammers and hackers, they collect various forms of data to further promote their own products. A good example would be targeted ads, that track your searches to immediately recommend similar items. VPNs help you keep your data safe by masking your IP so that malicious actors can’t connect your data with your devices.
Why Should You Use a VPN
If you’re wondering why should you as an everyday person use a VPN, it’s mainly to keep your online identity private. The internet is full of malicious people, companies, and groups that would make your life worse just for the sake of fun. Some do it for profit, others to just bring harm. But a VPN protects you from identity theft, phishing attacks, malware, ransomware, and most importantly data mining.
Most people think that data collection isn’t a big deal, after all, you don’t have anything to hide. But no, collecting data online means companies know every little detail about you. And they can use their sprawling wealth for targeted marketing so that you don’t even know you want their products. For example, if a data collection company notices that you searched certain health symptoms over a period of time, you’re more likely to receive advertisements that market the cure. But this also means that other people saw your searches and breached your privacy.
That being said you shouldn’t rely solely on a VPN for your internet security. It should be used in tandem with other privacy protection tools such as the private search engine DuckDuckGo. And if you’re working in academics or somewhere where you need to source original images, it’s recommended to use a personal search blocklist. That way you can block sites like Pinterest that endlessly repost images from your search results. And in turn, you can find original images through search engines more easily.
What Are the Benefits of Using a VPN in 2023
In 2023 internet privacy is slowly decreasing. Gone are the days when people could randomly interact without ever knowing each other. Having a high percentage of online literacy also means people don’t need skills to become malicious hackers. Everyone can make zip bombs and spyware. An extra line of defense can mean the world to people who want to keep their private and online lives separate. By combining tools such as DuckDuckGo VPN and others you’re creating a safety net for your data. And after you’ve set that up, you’ll never again need to worry about any security breaches.
Conclusion
No matter if you’re a computer whizz or you just want to keep your devices safe, having a VPN allows you to browse the internet without worry. So if you’ve been on the fence about getting a VPN, then you shouldn’t be waiting any longer.