How Can I Surf on the Web Anonymously?

Posted on September 25, 2008 
Filed Under Reader Questions

How can I surf on the web anonymously?? This is a question that I get asked at least once a week especially now that pc security is such a booming topic.

 

When you surf the web it is possible to get information about you even when you don’t want to advertise who you are. This is true even if your system contains no virus or malware software.

 

Specially information like your IP address, your country (and your region/city based on your IP address), what computer system you are on, what browser you use, your browser history, and other information.  It gets worse.  People can get your computer’s name and even find out your name if your system supports programs like finger or identd. Also, cookies can track your habits as you move from machine to machine.

 

 

How do people get this basic information?

 

When you visit another website, information about you can be gathered.  Simply said, the information is intercepted and used by others to track your Internet activities. 

 

 

Can I stop this from happening?

 

First of all, it is possible to surf the web anonymously and thereby stop leaving a trail for others to find. But be aware that this is not fool-proof, but it makes it much harder for people to know who you are. There are products called anonymous proxy servers that help to protect you.  The anonymous proxy server replaces your Internet address for its own.  This has the effect of hiding your IP address and making it much harder for people to track you.

 

 

How do I get an anonymous proxy server?

 

There are many sites and companies who sell anonymous proxy servers. There are also free proxy servers available to you. Two such products are ShadowSurf and Guardster.  Guardster offers various services for anonymous and secure access to the web, some paid as well as a free service.  ShadowSurf also provides anonymous surfing at their site for free. On these sites you will find a box to enter a URL that you want no one to track. There are many others, but these two are quite popular.

 

 

Does a proxy server make you 100% safe?

 

No!! But if you want to be safe then you are much better of using a proxy server.

 

What other things should I be concerned about when trying to keep my private information private?

 

There are a couple of things you can do if you want to keep your information private. First: you can use an encrypted connection to hide your surfing behavior. But accomplishing this goes way beyond the knowledge of the average surfer (it is above mine) but search the web and you will find a lot of information on this.  Secondly: you can delete all your cookies after each session and third; you can configure your browser to remove JavaScript, Java, and block all active content. But this really comes with many surfing limitations seen the way most sites are build nowadays.

 

And coming back to the question; how can I surf on the web anonymously?? Ask yourself if you really want to do this and why? A simple firewall and virus scanner are for the most of us sufficient enough. Try to enjoy cookies and active content and don’t worry (too) much about you protecting your surfing activity.

 

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Comments

One Response to “How Can I Surf on the Web Anonymously?”

  1. Judith on September 25th, 2008 10:53 am

    The problem is, if i use proxy servers, the speed may be slow?

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