Most of the users on the web are not guarded against the violating of privacy and identity theft. This is the reality and this fact has been being overlooked by the websites, the authorities and the related IT experts. All of these mentioned parties are well aware of the vulnerability of the web from the beginning; although no effective steps have been taken. Of course, the authorities have deployed required security measures and encryptions methodologies for securing the online financial transaction. However, the protection for privacy, secrecy and anonymity has not gained the desired level of focus. Thus the privacy of general web surfers is still under threat. This cruel fact is depicted by an add-on designed by for the open source internet browser, namely the Mozilla Firefox. How users’ privacy get vulnerable Most of the websites on the web transmits data to the users’ computer in non-encrypted form. Even the valuable login credentials are also sent without encryption. This practice is severely dangerous for the privacy of the general users. Especially the users, who use WI-FI or similar networks that assign no unique or dedicated IP to the connected devices, are more vulnerable to this kind of threats. Any fellow users, on such networks, can easily get access to the valuable cookie files containing login credential of individual users that are surfing the web using same network. For an IT expects this is an easy tasks to do. Within a minute, a user account on sites without encryption can be hacked. The coffee shops’ Wi-Fi is among the suitable ones for performing such hacking. This type of vulnerability is less prominent with websites that employ encryption on data while transmission over the net. What does firesheep do? The above mentioned vulnerability is well known to the IT experts and surprisingly no one has raised voice against this until the firesheep is released. This add-on for Firefox browsers , enables any novice , non IT persons to get control of social media accounts (of facebook.com or of tweter.com) of any users who is logged on to his / her social medial accounts using the same network that issues no unique IP to the users . With a few clicks of mouse, the accounts can be hacked by a general user who has firesheep installed. After the release of this add-on, the mass get to know the vulnerability of using sites that enforces no encryption on data. No need to worry: personal VPN is there The personal VPN is regarded as a great solution to fight the above mentioned vulnerability. The vulnerability is originated from absence of encryption of data during transmission. The personal VPN services employ encryption regardless of the websites’ employment of encryption. While using personal VPN every piece of data is sent from the personal computer in encrypted form to the VPN server, which sends the data upon decryption to the actual destination websites. The replies form the sites also diverts back to users’ pc via the VPN server. The data that leaves and reaches users’ pc remains always encrypted in this process. Thus, the vulnerability resulting from non-encryption is eliminated. No direct communication with the websites is allowed under this process. A VPN server is required which will handle the transmission and encryption of data. There are several VPN servers running on the web; you can subscribe any of those for eliminating vulnerability of your privacy. However, the trustworthiness of the VPN operator is essential as the data can be unearthed easily by network administrator of the VPN server. The SurfsentryVPN.com, an operator of personal VPN services, promises subscribers trustworthy and stable services at affordable price. Author frequently writes about VPN service. You can read more about Surf Sentry VPN
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