The Best Privacy Protection Software Review & Buyers Guide
If you never heard about Facebook Pixel, it is a code that marketers place on their website to track your browsing activities. This tracking code is what they use to gather your personal information, the sites you visit, email newsletters that you open, and website banners that you click on. Marketers use the code to tailor the ads appropriate to the right people.
Facebook Ads mostly rely on the data tracked by Facebook Pixel to know which people are likely to take notice of the ads. While this can be useful for businesses, Internet users can consider this as a form of privacy invasion.
Companies are now trying to collect personally identifiable data to increase conversions and target new leads. Many e-commerce sites that you visit and shop with have some kind of tracking technology to improve their marketing campaign. This kind of data gathering is no way different from hackers collecting personal info for their gain.
If you are concerned about this, and want to ensure that your personal information and browsing activity is not made available to the public, there are privacy protection software out there to counter these threats and invasion.
Comparison Of The 5 Best-selling Privacy Protection Software
We’ve put together the top five privacy protection software that you can buy along with the features that they should have.
| Product | Anti-Phishing / Tracking | Secure VPN | Webcam Protection | Bank-Grade Encryption | Browsing Protection | Wi-Fi Protection | |
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Kaspersky Internet Security 2020
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NordVPN Internet Privacy & Security
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Trend Micro Maximum Security
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Panda Dome Advanced
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Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus
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1. Kaspersky Internet Security 2020
Kaspersky Internet Security’s best-selling software combines privacy protection features with a software firewall, parental control, file encryption, and antimalware into one suite. Kaspersky acts at the forefront of your defense against privacy threats that come from the Internet. Features like anti-tracking, webcam protection, secure VPN, and encryption work together to hide you from cybercriminals. Besides viruses, Kaspersky’s antimalware detects different types of malware, including the latest ones like cryptolockers and ransomware.
Key Features
- Anti-Tracking
Kaspersky Internet Security blocks online tracking services from collecting data on the websites that you visit. Kaspersky has a private browsing feature as an added security for blocking these tracking sites.
- Bank-grade Encryption
Kaspersky helps in ensuring that your online financial transaction, whether it’s banking or shopping, is secure. The software’s bank-grade encryption shields you from threats like bank frauds and phishing activities.
- Webcam Protection
Kaspersky’s webcam protection feature blocks websites that are attempting to illegally access your device’s camera. You no longer need to worry about your privacy being invaded.
- Secure VPN
With this feature, Kaspersky keeps your identity hidden when you go to websites that use tracking tools that will attempt to gather your personal information and Internet behavior.
2. NordVPN Internet Privacy & Security
NordVPN shields you from different types of cybersecurity threats with its innovative technology that shields your activity on the Internet. Cybercriminals, annoying ads, and malicious programs like spyware, Trojans, viruses, and worms will have no way of getting into your network and individual devices. NordVPN extends its protection even if you are hooked up to a public Wi-Fi network where online attacks are more prevalent. And you can get all this at such a bargained price.
Key Features
- Parental Controls
Since kids have the tendency to visit unsafe websites on the Internet, NordVPN allows parents to monitor and regulate which ones they can visit with the parental control feature.
- Safe Cam
NordVPN blocks all peeping toms on the Internet who are trying to watch and invade your privacy through your device’s webcam.
- Password Manager
When you save your passwords in easily accessible files, it can put your personal information at risk. NordVPN’s password managers can help you handle your passwords and register you on sites securely.
- Dark Web Monitoring
This NordVPN gets you notified if someone attempts to sell your information on the dark web.
3. Trend Micro Maximum Security
Trend Micro Maximum Security provides you with full privacy protection across all your devices against all kinds of online threats. The software’s array of security features includes protection against ransomware which can hostage your personal data for a huge sum of money. With a boatload of bonus features, this software suite offers ease of usage. From installation to actual usage, you will never find an issue having this software running on your devices.
Key Features
- Web Threat Blocking
Trend Micro instantly identifies sites or pages that you cannot visit as they potentially with malicious software installed or when there are fake forms backed by scams and frauds.
- Cloud-based AI Technology
Trend Micro can stop threats from the cloud before it reaches your network. An intuitive web console makes these capabilities possible.
- Secure Browsing
Trend Micro’s secure browsing features consist of secure HTTP or HTTPS, hardened system, keystroke encryption, and process validation.
- User-friendly
Users will find Trend Micro easy to install and run on their devices. This privacy protection software highlights an intuitive user interface
4. Panda Dome Advanced
Panda might not be a well-known privacy protection software maker compared to the likes of Avira, Kaspersky, AVG, and others. However, it has a great reputation for providing trustworthy products with outstanding features. Panda Dome comes in Essential and Complete versions. Sitting in the middle, the Advanced variant steps above Essential with features for personal data protection and parental control.
Key Features
- Wi-Fi Protection
Panda Dome allows you to see computers present on your network. You can identify the intruders trying to bypass security.
- Customizable Firewall
Choose which signatures can safely enter your network through the customizable firewall.
- Anonymous Browsing
Much like a VPN, you can safely browse the Internet with an anonymous profile making you unidentifiable through the public network.
- Child-friendly
Panda’s parental control features allow parents or anyone who manages the home network to monitor and regulate the websites accessed by younger household members.
5. Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus
Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus has a wide range of products for privacy and security. It offers an appealing list of useful features for privacy protection including URL blocking, anti-phishing, and even a firewall and privacy shields. This privacy protection software analyzed programs, websites, emails, and other means that can be utilized by cybercriminals to exploit your device. Once a malicious app or activity is identified, you are notified for appropriate action.
Key Features
- URL Filtering
Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus’ URL filtering feature uses a technology that limits users from visiting specifically unsafe sites. Businesses use this so employees encounter blocked pages during work hours.
- Heuristics
With heuristics, you can identify the level of threat analysis the software will perform based on which endpoints are you trying to scan.
- Anti-Phishing
Computer programs, website pages, emails, and others have several ways of tricking you into providing sensitive data. Webroot analyzes such activities and prompts you instantly.
- Made For Windows
Webroot privacy protection software solutions primarily cater to computing devices running on Microsoft Windows as these are frequently attacked by malware and other forms of online threats.
What Is Privacy Protection?
Privacy protection comes in the form of tools and software with features that try to protect your personal information from network invasions. You will see a lot of tools under different categories that primarily mask the user identity from privy hackers in public networks.
Privacy protection software solutions cover personal information that includes passwords, email addresses, and financial details.
Why Do You Need Privacy Protection Software?
When you use your credit card to purchase something online, you enter those details on the Internet. A cybercriminal has several ways to get this information without your knowledge. When done successfully, they can use your card for their purchases. As you may already know, this is one of the many cases of bank fraud.
In the same way that you wouldn’t have someone to know your credit card details, you will also want to have some kind of privacy protection when you browse the Internet.
Without privacy protection, even your physical address and identity will be at risk.
Things To Consider When Choosing Privacy Protection Software
Privacy protection software solutions come in various forms from different brands. That said, you might find choosing and buying one or some of them a confusing process. To further help you in making a decision, here are some of the features that you should look for before shelling out your hard-earned money.
Secure VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is a technology that allows users to browse the public network without their identity being revealed. When you connect to the Internet, you go through the VPN first before your uploads and download transmit to the public network. This means that your profile and browsing activity is coming from a VPN, rater than your own device, making you appear anonymous.
Data Encryption
Data encryption works by translating plaintext data into a different format such as a series of codes and symbols, or key which people can’t access unless with a decryption key. This ensures that your data
Dark Web Monitoring
A dark web monitoring feature will notify you if your details are being sold on the dark web. While this is a bonus feature that you only usually get in some privacy protection software, it’s one that lets you know you’re getting a good selection of features.
Ad Blockers
As we’ve mentioned earlier about Facebook Pixel, ad blockers can stop such codes to track your activity. While marketing campaigns could be harmless for some users and actually would prefer if ads are tailored to their experience, not having an ad blocker means your unprotected even to the malicious hackers.
Wi-Fi Access Control
With this feature, you can control which device can and cannot connect to your Wi-Fi network. You can also see who is illegally accessing your network without permission. This way, you also make sure that your bandwidth allocation is not getting hoarded.
URL Filtering
A URL Filtering feature gives you control over which sites and web addresses can be accessed or visited through your network. You can have a list of safe sites on your router or on a list server. This is a specifically useful feature for families with kids or for large enterprises that prohibits the use of leisure browsing during work hours. Having a web filtering feature in your privacy protection software means that you’re safe from getting malicious codes or spyware, phishing attempts, and any harmful threats.
AI Technology and Machine Learning-Powered
Lastly, AI technology in your privacy protection software will be a default one in the nearby future. The number of threats doubles every year and in the world of bytes and bytes of data, artificial intelligence together with machine learning should be used at an advantage to raise the level of analysis and add layers of protection to user’s privacy.
