Why Protecting Yourself Online is Important for Any Writer

Technology has really made our lives easier for the most part. For example, the gift of internet has made the exchange of information rather easier. The data that is made available in the internet is staggering. In fact, we find it harder to live without the internet with each passing year. More and more of our much needed services are made better by internet, and by technology as a whole.

Another concrete example of the internet’s profound effect on us is the way article writers do their job. In days past, a typical writer would bang away on typewriters day in and day out. The modern computer changed that but writers are still chained to their offices for the most part. The internet change all of that. The internet enabled writers to work at home (or anywhere else) because said technology, as expressed above, enabled an easier mode to exchange information. Webpages also changed the mode of “publication” too. As of the moment, webpages are still threatening traditional modes of media.

Dangers of the Internet

The internet is one of the most revolutionary human inventions that graced our kind. As mentioned, the internet has made formerly hard tasks into easy and mundane ones. Of note is the nature of openness that so pervades the internet. It means that anyone with the proper device and the proper connection can access the said network. However, it is this openness that endangers its users.

News of hackers and viruses has inundated the airwaves. Simple viruses can be handled by free antivirus tools but the more malicious ones are harder to handle. The most difficult ones are purposely used by hackers who want to access sensitive data, mainly the private data of internet users to sell in black markets. But these aren’t the most dangerous ones. 

To be sure, hackers and viruses are to be feared, especially if you’re work revolves around the internet. Writers which rely on the internet must guard themselves against said threats. Although, most computer viruses can be handled by more powerful antivirus tools and hackers are only dangerous if you’re specifically targeted. A hacker employing tools for a bigger target area easier to be exposed.

The biggest threats, presently, to writers and alike who rely on the internet, are the big organizations that collects data. Some nation governments are collecting data upon their citizens in order to check for any subversive elements. Some are doing so to preempt any national risk. Big software corporations are also using the data gleaned from users in order to feed said users with the fitting ads. Although benign, this sort of mass eavesdropping is still a bit creepy.

Protection for Writers

All’s not lost. Writers and others can still enact measures to protect their data and their articles. For one, writers can use technology that greatly eschews the internet. While this would involve backward technology, the benefits of going “out of the grid” is undeniable. This technique is best used in the minimum so as not to interrupt your workflow and must be limited to sensitive data and other usages.

One of the best tools to combat data sniffers is the use of Virtual Private Networks or VPN’s. VPN’s give users a private connection that protects said users from outside prying eyes. Basically, a VPN will give users a connection that is largely unreachable by those who seek to know the contents of data funneled through said networks. There are a multitude of choices when it comes to VPN’s. It’s always better to get the more powerful VPNS in order to protect your data and your privacy.

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