Nowadays, cybercriminals are finding more innovative ways to get around security protocols and steal your personal information. As the frequency and scale of data exploits and attacks , it’s hard to feel secure online. increase year after year Over time, a popular browser feature emerged — —  to address this perceived lack of security. However, despite the name, this feature isn’t really all that private. Private browsing mode will prevent your browsing history and cookies from being saved. private browsing mode Plus, any ads you see won’t be tracking you. But in terms of actual online privacy, that's as far as private browsing mode goes. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP), network administrator, employer or school, and any cyber criminal who has access to your device or network can still track what you’re doing. While this is certainly preferable to unsecured browsing, private browsing mode really only protects you from anyone who has physical access to your device. You’re still vulnerable to other kinds of online surveillance, which is often the most nefarious. For private browsing that’s actually private, people can’t just rely on their browser’s built-in private modes: they need something more. Here are three reasons why you need a , regardless of what you’re doing online, and where to get one. private browser 1. Your ISP knows everything you do Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is tracking every move you make online, even when you’re in “incognito” or “private browsing” mode. To curb ISP spying, you need more than private browsing mode. A private browser with built-in VPN encrypts all the data going in and out by creating a tunnel between your device and the internet. But there’s another crack through which your ISP can spy on you - your DNS requests, which are usually revealed to your ISP provider by default. Switching to a secure DNS alternative adds a layer of encryption over your DNS requests, keeping your ISP from seeing which websites you visit. 2. Public Wi-Fi is never safe Public Wi-Fi — also known as “hotspots” — are , even if they’re password protected. Although it’s convenient to connect at airports, cafes, hotels, and the like, public Wi-Fi is a veritable treasure trove for cyber-criminals. They can either infect the network with malware, intercept your specific data stream, or grab a whole bunch of data and then sort through it for valuable pieces later. never secure The best way to protect yourself on a public network is to use a VPN. By using a private browser with VPN, like , everything you do while connected to the internet is protected from third-parties who might be attempting to track your movements on the web. Avast Secure Browser 3. Advertisers are tracking you Ever search for something only to have it show up later as an ad on Facebook or Instagram? It’s a little creepy. This happens because advertisers track you via advertisements or social media widgets. Don’t have social media? They can still track you even when you’re not signed up, so not being a member won’t protect your privacy. Even if you don’t have anything to hide, you probably don’t like the idea of all this information being collected, stored, and sold. And rightly so. It’s a good idea to take a minute and consider how much information advertisers have on you and what you want to do about it. A good place to start is switching to a browser with . Not only do ad blockers stop those intrusive ads from following you around the internet, they also speed up your browsing by improving website loading time. ad-blocking software What to look for in a private browser There are a few private browsers to choose from, but many offer little more than a private browsing mode and a diluted ad blocker packaged into a single browser. While this is better than nothing, it still leaves you open to online privacy threats. Any secure browser that’s truly on board with protecting your privacy should keep your information safe and private by default. It should feature a built-in privacy and security suite, complete with automatic encryption, ad blocking, anti-phishing, and anti-tracking - and it should automate these processes so there’s no need to set it all up yourself. This is no easy task. It requires a completely different philosophy and approach to building a browser, but we believe it's the best way to offer a complete solution that you actually enjoy using. To browse more privately, it’s time to switch to a private browser If you’re concerned about your online privacy (hopefully you are, as you came this far!), it’s time to switch to a browser that has your back. , our offering to the private browsing landscape, streamlines the browsing features you love with the privacy and security tools you need into one fast and convenient solution. Avast Secure Browser Start using today, completely free, and enjoy the peace of mind of a properly secure and private browser. Avast Secure Browser

BUNCH

Facebook

Instagram

Privacy vs Secrecy and Your Right to Both

What Does Your Browser Know About You?

Get FREE Secure Browser

Nominated for 2022 - HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - Privacy

Nominated for 2022 - HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - Facebook

Nominated for 2022 - HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - Social Media

Nominated for 2022 - HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - Instagram

Too Long; Didn't Read

Make resilience your competitive advantage

3 Reasons to Use a Private Browser and Where to Find One

3 Reasons to Use a Private Browser and Where to Find One

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

Untitled Story

8 Tips for Safe Online Shopping this Holiday Season

A Short Guide to Digital Privacy for College Students

How to Choose the Best Secure Browser in 2021

What Does Your Browser Know About You?

10 Best Search Tool Extensions In Chrome Web Store

8 Tips for Safe Online Shopping this Holiday Season

A Short Guide to Digital Privacy for College Students

How to Choose the Best Secure Browser in 2021

What Does Your Browser Know About You?

10 Best Search Tool Extensions In Chrome Web Store

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps