![]() There are other alternatives to Tor, but this is perhaps the best known. ![]() If you’re particularly concerned about being tracked, you could use the Tor anonymizer network, which hides your IP address, making you less likely to be identified and targeted by advertisers or cybercriminals. VPN works by using proxy servers across the world, so your identity – or location – can never be fully known (well, to a degree – technically speaking, it’s not theoretically impossible). Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are an effective way of guarding your online privacy, as they hide your IP address – your unique online identifier – and run all your online data via a secure and encrypted virtual tunnel, which can keep websites from tracking your online activity, or even knowing which country you’re browsing from. ![]() All that said, if you have to put in an email address in a form on a website that you don’t consider truly legit, you are playing with fire. This is particularly useful to avoid spam one might receive after filling in forms on potentially dodgy websites that require an email address in order to be able to complete (and submit) the form. They allow users to create new email addresses quickly, as and when they’re needed, after which they can be forgotten and never used again. Use temporary email addressesĭisposable Email Addresses (DEAs) are anonymous and temporary. After all, with ‘all your eggs in one basket’, having a weak password is not ideal to say the least. Note, the password you use to access your password manager – this needs to be ‘super’ complex. It can save all your passwords, create new ones and save other details too – like your bank credentials. This isn’t helped by the fact that some get compromised, opening up all your passwords to cybercriminals.Ī password manager is, nevertheless, a good idea. There are several password managers available, but sadly mainstream adoption is a constant struggle. It is recommended that you block advertisements and scripts on all websites except those that you trust, and then only allow what you need to support the functioning of that site. “Ad blocking, for many, is an absolute must for maintaining online privacy, and indeed staying secure from cybercriminals.” The mailman/ISP can still see where the letter is going, but can only read the contents of the HTTP/postcard communication all they know about the HTTPS/envelope is where it came from and where it’s going.” Ad blockersĪd blocking, for many, is an absolute must for maintaining online privacy, and indeed staying secure from cybercriminals.Ī large number of websites track and collect the browsing habits of the users that visit them through cookies, but ad blockers stop these details being collected. “HTTP is like writing things on a postcard, HTTPS is like writing things in a letter, and then putting it in an envelope and sealing it. Here’s a great analogy ESET’s from Aryeh Goretsky: Note that the HTTPS protocol does not mask your location at all, only the contents of your communication. “HTTP is like writing things on a postcard, HTTPS is like writing things in a letter.” This helps to encrypt any data that is sent online. The ‘s’ on the end stands for security, which is made possible with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). ![]() Whenever possible, use the HTTPS protocol when browsing the web. So with Data Privacy Day coming up on January 28th, we look at how you can stay anonymous online. Furthermore, there are other, little-known benefits, such as saving you money. The advantages are numerous ranging from protecting you from targeted ads to enabling you to get around website paywalls or even buying ‘surprise’ presents for your friends and family. So, what is private browsing? In essence, it is about staying anonymous on the web with little to no trace of your online activities. Even private browsing, otherwise known as incognito mode, is not totally safe from prying eyes. Our Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and employers theoretically have a log of what sites we visit and when. Our IP addresses give us away and cookies collect our browsing habits. When we go online, we all leave a digital ‘trace’. ![]()
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