As the world is evolving, so is the internet. Most of the world is always connected to the internet. Everything from shopping to banking services has become online. And the activities which people preferred to do physically are also now preferred to be done online ever since the pandemic hit worldwide.

Internet Usage in today’s time

It has become quite common to have online classes in schools and work from home for offices. As per the report of the United Nations, it is estimated that at a given time 3.2 billion devices have internet connections. 

With such massive internet usage, one cannot imagine life without it. The Internet is required for everything and most importantly it assists in connecting us to our family, friends, colleagues and other people through social networking sites. 

Our lives have completely changed with continuous internet connectivity. Gone are the days when we would walk down the newsstand or wait for the newspaper to keep up with the news. Now, with just a click or two you can read news and your local newspaper from any place in the world. Before you had to wait for another day for the latest news but now the news is updated in just a minute. All thanks to the internet.

With the great advancements in technology and with the increased amount of internet usage comes great benefits as well as higher risks. Among the many risks associated with the usage of the internet, a very delicate issue is privacy and security. 

When people weren’t aware of the dangers of the internet they would post anything and everything on social media. With time users realized that their privacy and security are at risk. Users now look for ways to overcome this barrier through hacks and ways that can give them a secure online experience. 

There are multiple hacks and techniques which could give you online privacy while you can use the internet to the fullest. One of them is purchasing a Virtual Private Network. There are many VPN options that you can choose from. If you are looking for a budget-friendly package, then there are many cheap VPN options that could suit your needs. 

You can easily look up the best VPN comparisons online and select the one that you think is perfect for your requirement. Apart from buying a VPN, there are some great internet hacks that you must know.

Five Internet Hacks you must know about

• To avoid Spam use disposable E-mail addresses.

Often users are annoyed by the spam emails hitting their inboxes. Now with a disposable email address, you can wipe out the spam from your inbox. There are various services like Trashmail and 10 Minute Mail which give you a quick temporary email address for receiving a confirmation email. 

You can use such disposable email addresses for websites that you do not trust fully but it requires an email address to proceed further.

• Make use of AdBlock.

An AdBlock extension is an ideal tool for privacy even if you do not want to block ads. Many times users do not use AdBlock Plus because they want to support the websites but AdBlock helps users remain safe from malware spreaders that they are unaware of.

AdBlock also helps in keeping your Facebook login safe from hijacking sites like Pandora.

• Use HTTPS for safety.

An easy way to stay safe on the internet is to use HTTPS. There are various services that use HTTPS by default. By ticking just a Checkbox you can enable it on Twitter, Gmail and Facebook. 

For using HTTPS for other places you can utilize the HTTPS Everywhere extension. It can be used for any website that allows it.

• Do not share your location.

Often websites and applications ask us to allow sharing locations. Unknowingly users share their location which is a big no-no for keeping your online privacy safe. It is because when you share your location on an application, everyone will know where you are at all times. You obviously do not want that.

It is advised that you should not use services like Foursquare and turn off Facebook Places. Moreover, do not save your home location as a Home Button on your smartphone or as a navigation unit. It could lead a thief to your house.  For ease, you could add any nearby landmark as the location for your home. This way you will know when you are close to your house and no thief will lead you to your house directly.

• To avoid repeating billing use temporary credit cards.

If you are fond of online shopping but are afraid to risk your financial information, an easy way to save yourself is to have a temporary credit card. It will help you from overbilling while protecting your privacy.

These are sometimes called gift cards or safe shopping cards. They come with a spending limit and an expiration date. 

Conclusion

Internet usage is at its peak. Though it has brought a lot of conveniences, it has raised safety and privacy concerns. One can use some hacks without limiting their internet usage for keeping their personal and private data safe. The above five internet hacks will help users keep their online activities protected from cybercrimes.