Data Privacy Week 2025
If you didn’t know already, now you do – it’s Data Privacy Week (January 27 to 31)! The brainchild of the National Cybersecurity Alliance, it aims to arm you with everything you need to spot and avoid the biggest risks to your data privacy and “Take control of your data”.
Data Privacy Week is here again! It’s an annual campaign designed to raise awareness about your online privacy, how to protect it, and the best habits you can pick up to ensure that your data doesn’t end up in any nefarious hands.
Why does it exist? Because every social media platform you log in to, site you visit, and file you download generates personal data – which is then collected. This information is typically later used by or sold to big tech companies or, in worse-case scenarios, intercepted by scammers.
One of the best things you can do to boost your personal privacy is to invest in a handful of secure apps that have your privacy in mind. Below, I’ve selected easy-to-use and accessible options that anyone, regardless of technical know-how, can check out. Let’s get into it.
1. Surfshark
A virtual private network (VPN) is my go-to solution for boosting my online security and anonymity because they’re so very easy to use.
Basically, a VPN works by establishing a connection between your device (PC, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and a remote server owned by a VPN provider. This creates a point-to-point tunnel that encrypts your personal data as it passes through, masks your IP address, and therefore prevents any third-party snooping.
VPNs are typically used by people who want to get around bans and blocks imposed by workplaces, internet service providers (ISPs), governments, and other entities/organizations, as well as folks who simply want to put a stop to being tracked online.
The cream of the crop
Wondering how Surfshark compares to other titans of the VPN world? Head on over to our guide to today’s best VPN services.
Over the last several years, VPNs have become more and more consumer-friendly. Surfshark, in particular, is an excellent option if you’ve never used a VPN before, thanks to its simple UI and apps for all major platforms (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux).
Security-wise, Surfshark uses AES-256 encryption to secure your data, meaning even if someone were to capture your traffic, it’d take them millions of years to crack it. Simultaneously, none of your browsing data is logged by its servers, which has been verified by multiple independent audits.
When we’re talking about Surfshark, however, the Alternative ID tool is the real show-stopper. It allows you to generate an entirely new online persona, complete with personal details and an email address, that you can use to move around the web more anonymously. So, if you don’t want to hand over your real details during sign-up, just spin up a new set with Alternative ID!
2. DuckDuckGo
Anyone serious about shoring up their online security needs to invest in a rock-solid web browser. For instance, despite being a popular choice, Google products are infamous for being massively data-hungry. So, if you’re looking for a reliable alternative, DuckDuckGo Private Browser could be just what the doctor ordered.
This private browser doesn’t store data and also tries to limit the info that websites and apps collect. One of the best things about the browser is that the UI isn’t cluttered or overly complicated – which is ideal for folks who are taking their first steps on a privacy-enhancing journey.
For instance, you can close tabs and delete browsing data with a single button, it’ll let you know how many trackers it has found and blocked per site, automatic cookie consent management is included, and the Duck Player lets you watch YouTube videos minus the Google ads. Handy, right?
3. Signal
Now that I’ve covered VPNs and web browsers, let’s switch gears and look into another data source most of us use every day: messaging apps.
While a lot of us rely on services like WhatsApp, it is, unfortunately, owned by the incredibly data-hungry Big Tech company, Meta. If you’re a privacy purist (and I’d say – even if you’re not), you should look elsewhere.
For example, Signal is a great alternative, as it’s open-source, utilizes end-to-end encryption, and uses peer-reviewed cryptographic protocols. Additionally, it doesn’t store any user logs – including the metadata that other messengers just gobble up.
While everyday folks will certainly benefit from privacy-focused tools and messaging apps, they are especially (I’d even say critically) useful for individuals like journalists, whistleblowers, activists, refugees, and the like, who can’t risk having their communications intercepted.
4. Proton Mail
Most of us use free email platforms like Yahoo Mail and Gmail. However, there’s a popular saying that “if something is free, you’re the product.”
In exchange for the free email service, these platforms harvest user data for advertising purposes to generate detailed user profiles, deliver targeted ads, and earn revenue.
This doesn’t fly with a lot of folks. These profiles can also be used to monitor your browsing activity. However, everyone has a right to privacy – and this is even more critical if you’re using email communications for sensitive or highly confidential work.
This is where the best secure email solutions – like Proton Mail – come in to protect against trackers and phishing attempts, while using end-to-end encryption to secure your conversations.
Among the many aspects and features that make it a wise choice for the privacy-conscious user, Proton Mail is open-source, meaning anyone can check out the source code and check it for vulnerabilities. Also, users can send password-protected emails that self-destruct after a certain time (cue the “Mission Impossible” soundtrack).
In 2024, the service unveiled a new Dark Web Monitoring feature in a bid to bolster its security capabilities against widespread data breaches. This tool works by identifying and alerting you as soon as your credentials appear in a breach, empowering you to take action before malicious actors get access to them.
5. Dashlane
We’ve all done it – using the same password across multiple accounts because the thought of remembering dozens of complex, unique passwords is, frankly, an impossibly tall task.
However, as “easy” or “time-saving” as this seems, using the same or slightly different (i.e. one different number or letter) password across all your accounts is a bonafide security nightmare. These passwords are incredibly easy to hack, and can lead to credential stuffing and brute force attacks.
Enter password managers – an integral privacy tool that allows you to generate super-secure passwords with a single click. After creating the passwords, the manager then allows you to save them in a secure vault, so you don’t have to keep them in your head.
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aleksandarstevanovic789@gmail.com (Aleksandar Stevanović)
