In an age where privacy breaches are increasingly common, protecting private conversations has probably never been more important. Research shows that over 86 percent of smartphone users will check their devices while in conversations with friends and family.
This is where proxies come into play. By masking an IP address and encrypting online activity, proxies offer a solution to shield against eavesdropping and unauthorized data collection.
“In an age when your digital privacy can be invaded by several types of software unconsciously, it turns into a vital skill to learn how to protect your PC and your private conversations,” Thibeau Maerevoet, ProxyScrape CEO explains to Digital Journal.
Convenience is experienced due to the connection of the devices in the digital age, but privacy is also a major issue due to the possibility of other people listening to and even recording one’s telephone conversations. As these conversations continue to intensify, the need to protect them increases and that’s where proxies come in as a viable defence mechanism.
What is a Proxy?
A proxy functions between your computer and the net, routing your clicks and data through a different path, while concealing your real location and profile. This functionality is quite useful in avoiding the interference of the third party on your personal conversation.
Maerevoet outlines the benefits of the proxy approach:
Anonymity
Proxies hide your IP address, providing anonymity while accessing the internet. It ensures your device’s direct address is untraceable.
Encrypted Communications
Some proxies offer encrypted connections, which bolster security by making intercepted communications unintelligible to eavesdroppers.
Controlled Data Flow
They allow you to control and restrict how and what data is transmitted from your phone, blocking potential malware or spyware.
Redirecting Internet Traffic
By rerouting the data request through different servers, proxies make it difficult for malicious software to track or tap into the phone’s conversations. According to Maerevoet, “Using a reliable proxy can create a convoluted path for your data, deterring attempts to record conversations covertly.”
Using SSL Proxies
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) proxies encrypt the data exchange between the user’s device and the internet, ensuring that any intercepted communication remains encrypted and, therefore, useless to the interceptor.
Employing High Anonymity Proxies
These proxies offer the highest level of security by changing the IP address randomly at regular intervals. The unpredictability of your digital persona drastically reduces the risk of unauthorized recordings.
Configuring a proxy on a phone
To enable a proxy on a smartphone:
- Android: Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi. Choose your network, then Advanced > Proxy, and enter your configured proxy settings.
- iOS: Open Settings > Wi-Fi. Tap the info (i) icon of your network, scroll down to Configure Proxy, and enter your details.
Although using proxies is as helpful as it gets when it comes to maintaining the privacy of one’s conversation, it is crucial to remain conscious of these security processes and measures required to safeguard the content of our discussion that is being held over the internet. Together with proper cybersecurity measures like having complex, distinct passwords, and ensuring the software is up to date, this will form a strong anti-spyware shield.
