In my August blog, “Internet Super Crime Wave?,” I shared several options businesses and individuals can take to protect themselves before they go online, such as using a commercial grade router, bringing your own Wi-Fi to use in public places, 
and managed backups. I also reported in August that 83 million Facebook accounts were discovered to be fakes and dupes, which suggests a corresponding percentage of websites online could be too (Heather Kelly, CNN, Heather Kelly, 83 million Facebook accounts are fakes and dupes, August 3rd, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/02/tech/social-media/facebook-fake-accounts/index.html). The question then arises, despite taking precautions to protect yourself before you go online, how can a business or individual protect themselves once they reach their online destination? Instead of Googling it, one possible solution is to launch your online search using https://duckduckgo.com.
What is DuckDuckGo.com?
DuckDuckGo.com is “privacy-focused search engine (James Vincent, The Verge, Jan 23, 2018, Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo wants to keep you safe around the web, https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/23/16922508/private-search-engine-duckduckgo-browser-extension-app).” DuckDuckGo.com offers tools to help people keep their online search as safe and private as possible. For instance, for dupe or legit websites, DuckDuckGo.com provides a grade rating for websites which factors in their use of encryption and ad tracking networks. Ad tracking networks are used by Facebook and Google, among many others, to follow a browser around the internet with the goal of developing a profile for targeted adverting. DuckDuckGo notes that while it will can “expose and block” these trackers when it discovers them, it won’t be able to catch them all (James Vincent, The Verge, Jan 23, 2018, Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo wants to keep you safe around the web, https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/23/16922508/private-search-engine-duckduckgo-browser-extension-app).
DuckDuckGo.com is a welcome resource for privacy and transparency and it provides an app extension for Firefox, Safari, Chrome, iOS and Android. But in the context of protecting your privacy online, it is yet another tool in the tool box. Businesses and individuals seeking peace of mind will want to follow the best standards and practices before you go online and when you get there. Before you go online, consider using a commercial grade router, bringing your own Wi-Fi to use in public places, and managed backups. RB’s Computer Service can help you with this. Give DuckDuckGo.com a try to get there.
From managed backups to setting up an in-house server and managing it, RB’s Computer Service can help your business today. For a consultation or help with your business, contact us via phone or email: 763-441-3884, or help@rbsmn.com. In addition to providing strategies to protect your computer or network when you are online, we also offer phishing prevention and ransomware strategies, and sell the best commercial grade firewall routers, best laptop computers, best desktop computers, business computers, computer parts, and computer monitors. We provide managed IT services, computer repair, iPhone and smartphone repair, and tablet repairs to customers and clients throughout central Minnesota and St. Cloud. Contact us today!