Several reasons may make it necessary for you to browse the web as an unknown entity. For example, you may wish to overcome any form of internet censorship. In such a case, it may be necessary for you to remain anonymous when you are online. Besides, you may have to be anonymous when online as a way of protecting your identity and data.
Regardless of the reasons, there are many techniques that you can use to be anonymous when browsing the internet. All these methods are effective because they help to clean up all the digital fingerprints that you leave when you are online. Some of them hide your IP address and ensure that other people cannot access any information that relates to you.
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#1- Using a VPN
You can remain anonymous when you are online if you use a VPN. By far, a VPN is the most efficient method that you can use to stay anonymous when you are browsing the internet. The essence of using a VPN to stay anonymous online is simple: a VPN hides your IP address so that no one can tell your location. Usually, an IP address identifies your location.
Someone can use an IP address to determine where you are and even get more information about you. Therefore, a VPN helps you overcome this weakness by giving you a completely different IP address when you are browsing the internet. Therefore, for you to remain completely anonymous online, you should consider using a VPN service.
#2- Using a Proxy Server
A proxy server helps you to protects anonymous when online because it conceals your IP address. At the basic level, a proxy server works as a VPN. These two methods help you to remain anonymous because they hide your IP address when you are surfing the internet. However, a VPN is more advanced than a proxy server.
However, a proxy server can still be an efficient method that you can use to remain anonymous when online. You can use this method to access websites that restrict their content to specific geographical regions.
#3- Using The Onion Router
The Onion Router (TOR) is a sophisticated system of networks that you can use to access the internet. Many people use TOR when accessing the dark web. When visiting the dark web, it is necessary for users to hide their identity. Besides, all the websites that form the dark web require that visitors use specific protocols when accessing them.
In this case, many sites that exist in the dark web work well with TOR. Apart from accessing the dark web, you can use TOR to remain anonymous online. The system automatically hides your IP address when you use it to surf the net. Also, the system randomizes all your online activity to make it almost impossible for anyone to access your data.
#4- Using Encrypted Email Services
You online communication activities provide valuable information about your location and even identity. Therefore, for you to remain anonymous online, you need to manage your online communications very carefully. All of the popular web-based mail service providers are not as secure as many people think they are. If you send very confidential information using your regular email service, know that you are running a risk.
Third parties can successfully hack your communication and access your data. For you to be fully anonymous, you should consider using encrypted email services. These are services that prioritize your privacy. They usually use two-way encryption methods utilizes public and private encryption keys. The services typically encrypt all your email communications to ensure that hackers cannot easily access your email messages.
#5- Using Temporary Email Addresses
There are times when you have to sign up on several sites. Interestingly, the more you use your real email address, the more hackers and spammers can access and use it. If spammers and hackers access your actual email address, they can start looking for more information about you. Therefore, it is necessary to keep your email address private as a way of safeguarding your identity.
One of the best ways that you can use to keep your email address private is to use temporary addresses. You can use any of the many sites that help clients to create and use temporary email addresses. Once you achieve the objective of using the email address, the site destroys it. This practice removes all traces of your online activity from sites that you do not trust.
#6- Clearing Cookies
Nowadays, websites attempt to understand the behavior of their visitors. This is why websites use cookies. Cookies are packets of data that websites use to monitor how you behave when you visit them. The sites then use the data to change the information that they present to you in a bid to retain you for long.
You need to remove cookies as a way of safeguarding your online privacy. As long as websites use cookies, they can get a lot of information about your online behavior. Although clearing cookies will not hide your IP address, it will still help you to remain secure online.
Websites will not collect information about you, and this will increase your level of online privacy.
#7- Using Special Search Engines
Your search engine can be an easy target for hackers. Attackers can take advantage of the inbuilt features of your search engine to monitor your behavior online. More so, attackers can track your data and even manage to successfully launch an attack against you by starting from your browser. The reason for this is simple: your browser does not hide all the data about you.
Therefore, for you to remain anonymous when you are online, you need to use a browser that fully hides your data. Many special types of browsers can fully protect your data. You can download and use some of these highly secure browsers to safeguard your online privacy.
#8- Managing Trackers
Trackers are unique programs that continuously monitor your online activity. Advertisers usually use trackers to find out the kind of information that interests you when you are online. They then use the information to tailor their advertisements to your interests.
On the one hand, this practice sounds good. However, on the contrary, it compromises your online security. For you to be entirely anonymous online, you have to block all trackers. The best way of doing this is installing effective software programs that disable all trackers on your device. When you block trackers, you do not become anonymous.
However, blocking tracking software helps to safeguard your privacy to a large extent.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can use any of these methods to increase your level of online security and privacy. The essence of remaining anonymous online is hiding your IP address. For you to hide your IP address, you have to use a VPN, proxy server or any of the specific web browsers related to TOR.
Also, you need to secure your online communications by using encryption in your email messaging practices. Third, you need to block all programs that attempt to collect data about your online behavior. Therefore, for you to be fully anonymous online, you need to use some of these methods together rather than focusing on only one method.
