(Credit: PCMag/Lily Yeh/Olemedia/Getty Images/Envato)
Data breaches happen all the time, but will likely become more prevalent with the push for age verification laws that require websites and third-party verification services to retain personal information. Even now, most sites are woefully inept at safeguarding sensitive data. A VPN is an excellent safety tool that can prevent advertisers and your internet service provider from spying on you, but it won’t save you from a breach. However, there are a few steps you can take to lower the risk. I go over how a VPN can assist in that task and cover what privacy steps you can implement to keep your data safe.
This article was made possible in part by Proton VPN. It was written and edited independently without partner oversight.
Can a VPN Save You From a Data Breach?
A VPN anonymizes your traffic through encryption and location spoofing. It will stop any observers, such as ISPs and advertisers, from gaining access to your browsing habits. So, it makes sense to think that it would shield your activity from sites that store data. In a sense, it does. Sites won’t retain your IP address, connection region, or be able to pin down your identity just from you browsing the web.
That all changes when you make a purchase or fill out a form with your credentials. A VPN can’t anonymize data that you willingly provide. Once you hit submit on a payment or login, that information falls into the hands of the website to store or use as per its privacy policy. If it isn’t a privacy-minded company, then it likely stores, sells, or analyzes your data. This also goes for accessing streaming services like Netflix with a VPN. Sure, Netflix won’t know your real country of origin when you connect, but it will know your payment information, email, and any other personal details you have provided in the past.
Said information can become the subject of a data breach regardless of how secure your connection is. In some cases, there isn’t much you can do to safeguard yourself while still using the site or service you need. Many require valid email addresses, credit cards, and identifying information simply to access your account. While complete prevention isn’t viable, there are steps you can take to limit your digital footprint.
How to Reduce the Risk of Having Your Data Leaked
You can have all of the privacy tools on the market, but none of them can replace caution. Read the privacy policy for sites that require your personal information. If you’re making a payment, then make sure you know what company processes it and what happens to your card information when the transaction is complete. The same goes for providing your email, name, address, or any other identifying information. If possible, it’s a good practice to monitor what is done with that data. Then you can make a judgment call on whether you trust that site, payment processor, or company. Be extra wary of sites asking for what appears to be frivolous personal data unrelated to the service being provided.
Recommended by Our Editors
If you don’t trust a site but still want or need to make a purchase, then you can sometimes get away with using a burner email, temporary phone number, fake name, and a one-time payment method. Just keep in mind that you could run into issues with support, account recovery, and renewal payments if you lose access to the temporary email or card.
Password managers are another great line of defense against data breaches. Using a unique, strong password on every site will stop the domino effect that many data breaches have, where one breach results in your information on multiple sites being compromised.
Ad blockers and private browsers are also excellent privacy tools; however, like VPNs, they will only stop entities from tracking your online activity and won’t protect you against data breaches.
Finally, if you fall victim to a data breach, all hope is not lost. Read up on our tips about what you can do to limit its impact.