Are you using a VPN yet?
The Washington Post recently reported that the National Security Agency data will be shared with other intelligence agencies like the FBI without first applying screens for privacy. The ACLU of Massachusetts has blogged about why this is important. The ACLU of Massachusetts says ” Now, FBI agents can query the NSA’s database of Americans’ international communications, collected without warrants pursuant to Section 702 of the 2008 FISA Amendments Act.”
Perhaps you don’t mind that the NSA may be logging your communications but did you know your Internet Service Provider is probably doing the same? TorrentFreak posted that almost all service providers keep logs for an extended period of time. For example Time Warner Cable keeps logs for 6 months and Verizon keeps logs for 18 months.
One way to help keep your online activity private is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN is a network connection that allows you to create a secure connection over the public Internet to private networks at a another remote location.
For example if you are connected to a VPN from a coffee shop WiFi then the VPN sends an encrypted stream of data over the WiFi network so your Internet access is hidden from the coffee shop WiFi network. A VPN probably doesn’t keep your network related history private from government agencies like the NSA, but it may protect you from ISP or coffee shop WiFi snooping.
Some of these VPN providers claim to have no logging policies where they don’t log any data at all so your Internet usage remains private while others do log. How do you know which VPN service to choose?
Out friends at BestVPN have made a list of VPN services rated by operating system, country, if they log or not, among many other options. If you’re interested in trying out a VPN check out the lists provided by BestVPN and choose one you feel satisfied with by clicking the link directly below.
