There are literally two days left until Christmas. Panic is setting in. Those "few bits" you've repeatedly put off? Yeah, you'll need to do something about those and do it now.
We can't help with all your Christmas woes - you'll have to find the last turkey in town yourself - but we do have some easy last-minute gift ideas that might work, and they're available at the click of a button.
Consider Privacy-Focused Gifts
We live in a dangerous and nerdy world where people are becoming increasingly interested in online security and privacy. Maybe that's you, or maybe you know others that are - or should be - interested.
If you have someone on your gift list who fits this bill, you might be looking for gifts that will help them protect their personal information and keep their online activities safe and secure.
Please remember that it is always important to check out the options yourself in order to both find a good fit for the user and verify the quality of the service. We've linked some ideas in each section below to get you started.
1. Gift a VPN Subscription
One option is to give the gift of a virtual private network (VPN) service like Windscribe. A VPN masks your IP address, giving you more privacy in your browsing. Many VPN services (us included!) also allow users to access websites blocked in their country, making it an excellent gift for anyone who frequently travels or wants to access content from other countries.
You can even try out Windscribe’s free VPN offering to ensure that it’s the kind of gift befitting your loved one (we promise it is, though!).
2. Gift a Password Manager Subscription
Another gift idea is a password manager. A password manager can help your friend or loved one keep track of all their different passwords securely and conveniently. This is especially important as people are often advised to use unique and complex passwords for each online account. With a password manager, your friend can generate strong, unique passwords for all their accounts and only need to remember a single master password to access them.
3. Gift a Privacy-Focused Search Engine Subscription
Another gift idea is a subscription to a privacy-focused search engine. Like email providers, many popular search engines also collect and use user data for advertising purposes. Privacy-focused search engines, however, do not collect or share user data and often have additional features designed to protect user privacy.
4. Gift Privacy-Focused Hardware
Finally, if your friend or loved one is especially tech-savvy (and willing to wait for delivery after Christmas), you could consider giving them a gift of hardware that enhances their online privacy. For example, you could provide them with a router with built-in VPN capabilities, allowing them to encrypt their entire home network.
Or, you could give them a laptop privacy screen that blocks the view of their device from anyone sitting next to them on a plane or in a public place.
There’s Still Time!
See? The world is not going to end. The sky isn’t falling. There’s still time to purchase some great gift options for the privacy-conscious person on your holiday shopping list.
From VPN services and password managers to privacy-focused search engines, there are plenty of ways to help your friend or loved one protect their online privacy this holiday season!
