Here’s How to Be Completely Anonymous On the Internet
Have you ever wondered how to be completely anonymous on the internet? This guide will give you all the tips and tricks you need to be untraceable online.
Every 39 seconds, there’s a hacking attack. In addition, 300,000 new malware files are created every day.
As you can see, the internet is a scary place to be. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to bump up your security and remain safe while you’re browsing online.
For example, you can surf anonymously. If a hacker can’t find you, then they certainly can’t hack you.
Plus, browsing anonymously comes with other advantages, such as less tracking from pesky advertising agencies.
Here’s how to be completely anonymous on the internet so you can surf safely, privately, and in peace.
Browse in Incognito Mode
First off, you should browse in incognito mode. This doesn’t exactly mean you browse the internet completely anonymously, but it does help.
Incognito mode is where anything you do online isn’t recorded. This means when you go into your search history in the future, there won’t be any traces of where you’ve been.
This means all your local data from internet browsing isn’t saved. All cookies, trackers, and other files that sites try to upload onto your device won’t be stored at all.
However, do note that as we’ve said, incognito browsing doesn’t mean you’re entirely anonymous. If someone really wants to dig deeper, they can view your computer’s DNS files, which will tell them where you’ve been.
As you can see, your browsing isn’t 100% anonymous. Still, learning how to turn on incognito mode is definitely a step above regular browsing.
Don’t Use Big Search Engines
When you think of search engines, you probably think of Google, Yahoo, or Bing. These 3 giants provide a great service but at a cost. They collect your data to serve you personalized ads and results.
Go with the smaller dogs in the game, such as independent search engines. They’ll be able to provide you with similar results, but without collecting your data and personalizing search engine results pages (SERPs).
With independent search engines, they’ll actually give every visitor the same results. Not only will you avoid having your data collected and used, but you’ll also get truly neutral answers to your queries.
Use Anonymous Emails
In general, emails aren’t very private. So even if you follow the other tips on this list, you might be giving yourself away when you send and receive messages on email service providers like Gmail or Yahoo Mail.
Do some research to find secure email services that’ll encrypt everything and provide passwords for decryption. It may take some extra steps, but at least your communications will be secured.
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
The best way to surf the internet anonymously is to use a VPN. What this essentially does is hide your IP address.
When you connect to the internet, everyone has a unique IP address. This is similar to your physical address. With this string of numbers, someone can tell where you’re surfing.
As you can imagine, this means if anyone finds out your IP address, they can trace anything you do back to that particular address. It’s as if someone can intercept the mail coming to and from your physical house (in this case, it’d be the data packets sent to and from your computer).
When you use a VPN, it essentially stops anyone from being able to intercept these data packets. As a result, they can’t tell where you’re signing on from; you’re then surfing the internet as a truly anonymous entity.
How a VPN Works
So what is a VPN?
This is basically a way for you to “borrow” a free IP address. You connect to the network of your choice; it can be from anywhere in the world. For example, you could be located in California but sign onto a VPN that’s located in Japan if you wanted.
What this does is not only hide your true IP address, but it also makes your connection much more secure.
Another Benefit of Using a VPN
Getting a more secure connection with a VPN isn’t the only benefit you’ll get. For instance, you’ll be able to access geo-blocked content.
Have you ever heard your foreign friends say they can watch a certain TV show or movie on their Netflix, but when you access yours, it’s not there? That’s because Netflix has different rights in different regions.
If you use a VPN, you can basically trick the internet into thinking you’re wherever the VPN is. So if you want to watch stuff that’s available on British Netflix, then choose a VPN located in England and you’ll be set!
Use Tor
Using Tor (The Onion Router) is similar to using VPNs, but it’s a bit more complicated.
As the name suggests, there are multiple layers to using Tor. When you connect, it goes through multiple other volunteers’ nodes before you actually access a site.
Each time your connection passes through someone’s node, it does so in an encrypted way. Using this convoluted way to access sites, makes it extremely difficult for someone to trace online activity back to you.
Tor makes it so that searching anonymously is as anonymous as it gets. Of course, if a hacking genius really wants to, they can track your activity. However, they won’t be able to read your messages, as they’ll be encrypted.
Know-How to Be Completely Anonymous on the Internet
By knowing how to be completely anonymous on the internet, you can have peace of mind knowing that people aren’t tracking your every move.
Plus, when you know how to become anonymous digitally, it has many other benefits. For instance, you can access geo-locked material and avoid targeted ads.
As you can see, learning how to browse anonymously comes with multiple benefits. So put all our tips into effect to reap them.
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