So, now that we have gone through the basics of what cryptography is, how it’s used, it’s different applications, and why it matters, let’s have a look at how you can apply cryptography in your everyday life.
And I want to start this section by pointing out that you already rely on cryptography each and every day to keep yourself secure!
But for those of you who want an extra layer of protection, here are a couple of ways that you can implement even more encryption into your life.
Download a VPN to Protect Your
These are highly versatile tools that allow you to access restricted websites, hide your browsing activity from the eyes on public wifi, and remotely access your private servers.
Let’s say that you are a C-level executive at a large company. You are away on business meetings and want to login to your private corporate network remotely.
This is actually an incredibly easy task. All you need to do is to first connect to the public Internet through an ISP and then launch a VPN connection using the company’s VPN server and specific software and Voila! You now have access to your private network.
Or, perhaps you are location independent employee who primarily works out of local coffee shops. Public connections like the networks at your friendly neighborhood Starbucks are notoriously insecure meaning that any hacker worth his salt could easily spy on your activity and steal sensitive data related to your current projects.
However, with a VPN, you can connect to a highly secure network that will shield you from the prying eyes of less than ethical coffee shop hackers.
VPNs can even be used in foreign countries to access region-restricted websites . For example, if you are travelling in Asia, you are likely aware that the Chinese government has a number of Draconian censorship laws that block public access to applications like Facebook and Instagram https://besthookupwebsites.org/sugar-daddies-usa/fl/west-palm-beach/.
However, as long as you have a VPN pre-installed on your device, you can quickly connect to a secure network in your hometown and have instant access to all of the websites and platforms you normally use.
While VPNs are a great tool for anyone looking to increase their network security, it’s important that you are selective with which VPN provider you use.
If you want to compare the cost, security, and speeds of different services, you can check out the rest of our site for a comprehensive review and comparison of the most popular VPNs on the market .
Download HTTPS Everywhere
HTTPS pages typically use either SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) to increase the security of your browsing experience with an asymmetric Public Key Infrastructure.
This type of connection scrambles messages being sent between your computer and the website you are viewing to ensure that you are less susceptible to hackers.
“ HTTPS Everywhere ” is a free open source browser extension compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. With this extension, any website you visit will be forced to use an HTTPS connection instead of the less secure HTTP connection so long as it’s supported.
Install BitLocker (for Windows) or FileVault2 (for Mac)
If you want to take extra steps (beyond just login password) to ensure that your personal information is secured on your PC or laptop, then I highly recommend you install BitLocker or FileVault2 .
These disk encryption devices protect your data by using the AES cryptography algorithm to provide encryption for entire volumes. If you do opt for this software, be sure to write down your credentials and keep them in a secure location. If you lose these credentials, it is almost certain that you will forever lose access to all of your encrypted information.