With only a few days left earlier than Christmas, overwhelmed delivery providers would possibly fail to ship your presents on time. After all, you could possibly all the time get a last-minute digital gift-card or subscription — however the truth is that everybody who may be concerned about a Netflix or Spotify account most likely already has one. And Telegram Premium? That’s a little awkward simply now.
However there’s a resolution! Why not give the reward of an elevated degree of every day safety this festive season? (A uninteresting thought? Beats socks, absolutely?!) Many individuals know they need to shield their information and on-line exercise, however don’t have the time or vitality to take action. A service that ensures their privateness is due to this fact not solely an uncommon reward, however a genuinely useful one too.
Privateness providers are usually paid for — with just a few uncommon exceptions. In any case, sustaining servers to retailer information and growing hack-resistant software program comes with a value. With out subscription charges, these providers must promote person information to advertisers — similar to Google and Meta do — which might defeat the purpose. So a year-long subscription to a privacy-enhancing service has monetary worth as nicely.
With our really useful providers, your giftee can change unsafe workplace purposes, note-taking providers, and messengers with privacy-focused alternate options that don’t misuse saved info.
However earlier than making a purchase order, take into accout two key factors:
First, providers designed for communication or collaboration, corresponding to encrypted messengers, are ineffective to reward to a single particular person. Who will you message if none of your pals use the app? It’s most likely higher to reward such a service to a complete group.
Second, privateness instruments might provide much less comfort and performance in comparison with fashionable alternate options that prioritize much less on safety. Whether or not this compromise proves important will rely upon the recipient’s wants and habits.
With these provisos duly famous, let’s discover some high-quality privacy-oriented alternate options to fashionable providers that might make nice presents this Christmas or New Yr.
Workplace purposes
Private diaries, research-paper drafts, and monetary calculations have gotten tougher to guard from prying eyes. Companies like Google Docs have all the time been utterly on-line — sparking each issues about leaks, and debates over how Google processes saved information. Microsoft has been making an attempt to catch up lately, together with with a number of questionable options even in its offline Workplace suite corresponding to auto-saving to OneDrive, elective “linked experiences”, and LinkedIn integrations. Storing information within the cloud isn’t essentially problematic in itself, however there are issues that paperwork can be utilized for advert focusing on, AI coaching, or different unrelated functions.
Is it attainable to mix collaborative doc enhancing and cloud storage with out these issues? Because it seems, sure. A much less feature-rich, but handy and personal various to Google Docs and Office365 is the CryptPad service. You’ll be able to work collectively on paperwork, slides, spreadsheets, and whiteboards, whereas storing all information on servers with end-to-end encryption.
If you need (and have the wanted tech-wherewithal), you’ll be able to arrange a CryptPad server independently. Nonetheless, there’s no want for abnormal customers to take action. The builders themselves preserve the cryptpad.fr server, providing paid plans for elevated storage and different advantages. Plans can be found for €5, €10, and €15 per 30 days, with reductions for annual funds. You’ll be able to discover different public CryptPad servers right here.
VPN
Though we’ve written repeatedly about the advantages of utilizing a VPN, let’s keep in mind as soon as once more {that a} VPN is not a standalone privateness device. Nonetheless, when used accurately alongside different instruments, a VPN can certainly assist improve privateness. For instance, it could shield in opposition to surveillance by your web supplier or Wi-Fi hotspot proprietor, and secures your information from hackers sitting on the subsequent desk in a restaurant. There are millions of VPN providers to select from, with folks utilizing them for a wide range of sensible ends. However free VPNs all the time include a query: how do they continue to be free? In any case, sustaining a VPN service has its prices. Alas, the adage “when you’re not paying for the product, you’re the product” applies right here too.
That’s why we suggest utilizing a trusted, paid VPN as an alternative of just a few random one from the web. Select a paid-only service from an organization with confirmed experience in cybersecurity. For instance, a quick and limitless VPN like might be bought both might be bought both independently, or as a part of the Kaspersky Plus or Kaspersky Premium subscriptions.
Messengers
Whereas fashionable messengers like WhatsApp and Sign already present end-to-end encryption, there’s nonetheless room for enchancment relating to privateness. Each apps require a telephone quantity for registration, and WhatsApp, as a part of the Meta empire, collects metadata about customers’ social connections.
The Threema messenger is freed from these points. Threema permits registration with a random ID and doesn’t require a telephone quantity. It additionally allows customers to handle the belief degree of their contacts. For instance, you’ll be able to confirm encryption keys by bodily being close to your dialog accomplice. Whereas comparable verification options exist in Sign and WhatsApp, they’re buried deep in menus. Threema, then again, exhibits the belief degree proper subsequent to the contact’s title.
The app is paid, however reasonably priced — €6 for lifetime utilization.
Observe-taking apps
There are tons of notice apps on the market — and each smartphone comes with its personal — however information synchronization between gadgets usually lacks sturdy encryption. We in contrast a number of non-public notice apps in a separate article, so right here we’ll simply remind you that probably the greatest choices for securely storing notes is Obsidian, a really highly effective app with wealthy performance. Obsidian itself is free, however its encrypted notice synchronization service, Obsidian Sync, prices round $48 per yr.
Browsers and e mail
You’ll be arduous pressed to discover a reward subscription to a non-public browser or e mail service, as browsers are usually free — even non-public ones. In the meantime, the privateness of a particular e mail service doesn’t imply a lot when emails are nonetheless despatched through standardized, open communication channels to recipients who don’t use non-public providers.
Nonetheless, your on a regular basis on-line actions might be made considerably extra non-public through the use of Kaspersky Premium. That is essentially the most superior model of our complete dwelling person safety, with most privateness safety performance. Due to Personal Looking and Webcam and Mic Management, Kaspersky Premium minimizes your digital footprint on the web, and prevents extra harmful threats like adware and phishing. The Protected Cash function protects your funds when purchasing/paying on-line, whereas Identification Theft Verify notifies you of any information leaks and advises on the way to deal with them.
On cellular gadgets, Kaspersky Premium not solely prevents hurt from phishing and malware, but additionally protects in opposition to surveillance from AirTags or stalkerware. And naturally, Kaspersky Premium contains the Kaspersky Password Supervisor, the limitless high-speed Kaspersky VPN Safe Connection, and even a yr of Kaspersky Protected Youngsters safety.
Any of those presents is an ideal option to share your care — guaranteeing the privateness and safety of your family members within the yr forward.
