How to Protect Your Online Privacy

by Johnny Webber

1. Use StartPage.com instead of Google Search. StartPage.com will give you the same search results as Google, without tracking you like Google does. For another alternative to Google, check out DuckDuckGo.com.

2. Install KeePass to save and encrypt your passwords. KeePass allows you to make long, complex, and unique passwords for all your accounts and stores them in a place that cannot be accessed by anyone but you.

3. Encrypt uploaded files with BoxCryptor. If you back up files to the cloud, make sure they are encrypted so nobody else can access them.

4. Use StartMail.com instead of Gmail. Smartmail.com claims it’s the “world’s most private email.” The program is still in beta, so you might run into a few bugs, but unfortunately there aren’t many alternatives out there.

5. Use a VPN. A VPN will encrypt your connection and give you an anonymous IP address. If that is too much for you, download Chromium and tinker with the privacy settings.

6. Download the Ghostery and DoNotTrackMe add-ons for your browser. Both add-ons block third parties from tracking you as you browse the web.

7. Use Piwik.org instead of Google Analytics. If you have your own website, use piwik.org to track your traffic statistics. Piwik allows your readers to keep their IP addresses private. It’s also free and open source.

8. Visit TOSDR.org before registering an account. If you are worried about online accounts stealing your information, check out TOSDR.org to read an abbreviated version of your terms of service.

9. Switch up your usernames. Use different usernames for different online accounts. No two accounts should have similar names. Do not post your personal information to your online accounts.

10. Consider downloading Tor or the PirateBrowser. Tor allows you to browse the web anonymously. The PirateBrowser is a bundle of stuff that the guys from Pirate Bay put together (it also includes Tor). Read more about Tor here.

11. Join reddit.com/r/privacy. At this subreddit you can follow all the latest privacy news and tips. Also check out their FAQ for other steps you can take to protect your privacy.