Privacy Tools

In the context of computing and the Internet, privacy tools refer to software devices or services that make it possible for people to use computers for personal use and communications without having their privacy violated.

In the digital age, as more communication and e-commerce takes place online, more data is stored both on users’ computers locally and on various Web sites where the user is a member or frequent visitor. If not adequately protected, personal, financial and professional information is available to parties seeking to benefit from it, such as companies designing targeted advertisements, spam email companies, or even malicious intruders.

Privacy tools aim to ensure that one’s privacy is safeguarded at all times. These tools can be broadly classified into the following categories.

Tools that protect content and privacy on your computer locally:

• Disk scrubbers
• Drive encryption tools

Tools that protect privacy while surfing the Internet:

• Anonymous email and surfing
• Browser cookie scrubbers
• Pop-up blockers

Tools for privacy protection during communications:

• Secure instant messaging
• Email signing and encryption tools
• Secure remote login

A few other types of tools span various categories:

• Firewalls and intrusion detection tools
• Password security tools