Let’s talk about the Internet and how we can do cool things with our devices, like laptops and smartphones, through it. It’s pretty much like exploring a new world. But, this vast ‘Internet world’ can sometimes be misleading. Data privacy is a big concern. With so many apps, each demanding access to your personal information, there’s a need for more robust safety measures. We don’t want our personal information to be misused, right?
Internet Service Providers or ISPs are these ‘mighty gatekeepers’ of this internet world through which we send and receive information. But did you know that your ISP can actually have access to everything you do online? Yikes! That may sound scary, but it’s crucial to understand how the Internet works.
Now, every device has a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address, sort of like the address of your home, but for your phone or laptop. It allows other devices to send information directly to your device and vice versa. Your ISP can see this address and therefore, technically, can track all your online activities.
Luckily, we have something easier to remember than an IP address to find a website, and that’s the domain name. A domain name is like a signpost that leads you to a particular website. For example, we write ‘www.google.com’ not a string of numbers (its IP address) to go to Google. The process of converting the domain name into an IP address is known as DNS or Domain Name System.
Now, traditional DNS is where the problem arises. Since your ISP controls it, they can have access to all your online data. But no need to panic – we have a hero called DNS over HTTPS (DoH) to our rescue. This system encrypts, like turns into a secret language, all your data so that no one other than the intended receiver can understand it.
But does that mean we are done with our privacy concerns? Not really. It’s important to have a deeper understanding of DoH. While it does protect your data, it does so by sending it to another party, other than your ISP, who could also have access to your data. Doesn’t that sound worrying, too? While some people say we should trust these newer companies more than ISPs, there are folks who like to stick with their ISPs, believing them to be more efficient.
The idea is not just to choose what’s trendy but what works best for you. People must be more aware of the services they use and their potential risks. At the same time, there’s no harm in taking some extra security measures to protect our data. Be proactive and give it a thought.
And the debate continues – which will be better for the future, people asking more questions about their privacy or merely accepting the system? Only time will tell. Until then, our job is to stay alert and smart and to keep learning more about how the internet works to maintain our safety online.
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