It's no longer just pedophiles, terrorists and hackers who have to worry about online privacy - a compromise of your identity on the internet makes you an easy target for identity theft and other illicit activities. Other people also need to protect themselves from their own governments. If you want to ensure your safety in the digital age, follow these simple precautions that will help you hide or disguise your true identity.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Knowing the Basics of Anonymity
Step 1. Websites register their visitors to choose targeted advertisements and propose links to social media
Every time you view a web page, the site will take note of your IP address ("the address" of your computer on the network), the starting site, the browser you are using, your operating system, the time you will spend on page and the links you will click on.
Step 2. The major search engines store your search history and associate it with your IP address (and your account, if you are registered)
This data is then compiled and analyzed to offer you more targeted advertising and more relevant search results.
Step 3. Social networks record your movements online
If your computer is connected to a social network (Facebook, Twitter etc.), these sites will be able to record your internet history if the sites you visit have social site plugins ("Like" buttons, Retweet buttons, etc..).
Step 4. Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can analyze your network traffic to check your online movements
This check is often done to determine if customers are using the network to download torrent files or copyrighted material.
Step 5. Complete anonymity is virtually impossible
As far as you can cover your tracks, there will always be information that could be used to identify you. The purpose of anonymity tools is to reduce the amount of information available, but due to the nature of the internet, you can never be truly anonymous.
Step 6. When browsing the internet, you will have to choose between convenience and anonymity
It is not easy to remain anonymous, because a certain commitment is required. Browsing will be slower and you will have to take several preliminary steps even before opening your browser. If anonymity is important to you, be prepared to make sacrifices.
The following section will explain how to prevent your personal information from being associated with your IP, but does not guarantee anonymity. To increase anonymity on the internet, read the final two sections of the article
Part 2 of 4: Protecting Your Personal Information
Step 1. Use a specific email to register for websites
Make sure it does not contain any personal information and is not linked to accounts where your data is registered.
Step 2. Use search engines that protect your privacy
Major search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo !, record your searches and associate them with your IP address. Use an alternative one that doesn't follow this policy, such as DuckDuckGo or StartPage.
Step 3. Use a password manager to keep your access keys safe
If you've been using the internet for more than a week, you probably already have a large number of passwords to remember. You may be tempted to use the same or variations on multiple sites to make them easier to remember, but this exposes you to serious security risks. If a website with your password and email is hacked, all accounts you used the same combination for would be compromised. A password manager will remember the access keys of all the sites you visit and will allow you to create secure and even random passwords for each one.
Thanks to a password manager, you don't have to worry about creating a password that is easy to remember. Instead, you can create secure passwords that are virtually impossible to crack. "Kz2Jh @ ds3a $ gs * F% 7" is a much more secure password than "Mydogname1983"
Part 3 of 4: Surfing with Basic Anonymity
Step 1. Learn the technical terms
When it comes to anonymity on the internet, technical terms abound. Before starting to delve into the subject, you will need to know at least some of the more common terms.
-
Traffic.
In network terms, traffic is the transfer of data from one computer to another.
-
Server.
It is a remote computer that hosts files and allows connections. All websites are loaded on servers, which you can access using a web browser.
-
Encryption.
The act of securing data sent over the network using a randomly generated code. When data is encrypted, it is encrypted using the unique code that only you and the server know. This ensures that the intercepted data cannot be decrypted.
-
Proxy.
A proxy server is a server that is configured to receive and send back network traffic. Basically, a proxy server allows you to connect to it and send requests to websites on your own. It will then receive the data from the sites and send it to you. This process has the benefit of hiding your IP address from the website you are visiting.
-
VPN.
A VPN is a Virtual Private Network. This is an encrypted connection between you and a server. It is typically used in the workplace, so that off-site employees can remotely and securely access company resources. You can imagine a VPN as a "gallery" across the internet, connecting you directly to a server.
Step 2. Use a website based proxy
There are thousands of web-based proxies, and they change every day. These are sites that redirect traffic through a proxy server. They only affect the traffic passing through that site; if you open another tab of your browser, you will not take advantage of the protection offered by the proxy.
- When using a web proxy, avoid sites that use secure logins (Facebook, your bank's website, etc.) because you should never trust proxies.
- Web proxies are unable to display some content, such as videos.
Step 3. Connect to a proxy server
A proxy server is a server that relays your internet traffic. This process has the benefit of hiding your personal IP address. The downside is that you will have to trust the server's honesty, which can interfere with your traffic.
- There are many proxy services on the internet, both paid and free. Free servers are almost always ad-supported.
- When you have found a proxy server you want to connect to, you will need to configure your browser to automatically connect to that server. This will only affect traffic originating from the browser (an instant message program, for example, will not pass data through the proxy unless configured to do so).
- As is recommended for web proxies, you should avoid logging into secure sites, as you cannot be sure that proxy services will not disclose your data.
- Do not connect to "open" proxies. There are proxy servers opened by other users and are typically malicious or illegal.
Step 4. Sign up for a VPN
A virtual private network will encrypt the traffic received and sent to the network, increasing your privacy. Your traffic will also appear to originate from the VPN server, just as it did with a proxy. Most VPNs are paid and many will still log your traffic to comply with government guidelines.
Don't trust VPN companies who claim they don't log any browsing data. No company would risk being shut down to protect a single customer from a government request
Step 5. Use the Tor browser
Tor is a network that acts as multiple proxies, bouncing your traffic between multiple relays before it reaches its destination or you. Only the traffic generated by the Tor browser will be anonymous, and navigation will be significantly slower than normal.
Click here for detailed information on using Tor
Part 4 of 4: Surfing in Nearly Complete Anonymity
Step 1. Follow all the steps in this section
If you really want to browse anonymously, you will need to complete several steps before going online. It may seem like a lot of work, but following these guidelines is the only way to ensure that you have near-total anonymity on the internet.
This method will help you set up your personal VPN or overseas server. This process is much safer than signing up for a VPN service, as you won't have to trust the fairness of a third party company
Step 2. Install Linux on a virtual machine on your home computer
Your computer has many services that connect to the internet, and any of them can compromise your anonymity without your knowledge. Windows is particularly insecure, and even the Mac OS X system to a lesser extent. The first step to being anonymous is to install Linux on a virtual machine, which simulates a computer inside your computer.
- A virtual computer has a "wall" around it that prevents data from being transmitted to your physical computer. This is essential to prevent your physical computer's "fingerprint" from appearing when you browse anonymously.
- Click here for detailed instructions on how to install Linux on a virtual machine. The whole process is free, but it may take over an hour.
- TailsOS is one of the most privacy oriented Linux distributions. It is very light and fully encrypted.
Step 3. Find a Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosted in another country
This will cost a few euros a month, but will allow you to browse anonymously. It is important to choose a VPS that is located in another country so that traffic cannot be traced back to your home IP address.
- You will need to install your VPN on the VPS. This will allow you to connect to the internet with the VPN, masking your real IP address.
- Choose a VPS service that allows you to make purchases that don't reveal your identity, such as DarkCoin.
- Once you have purchased a VPS, you will need to install your operating system on it. Install one of the following Linux distributions, which allow you to easily configure your VPN: Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS or Debian.
- Note that the VPS provider may still be forced to disclose your VPN information if your government suspects illegal activity. There is not much that can be done to prevent this from happening.
Step 4. Configure your VPN on the VPS
Your computer will connect to the VPN to access the internet. Websites will interpret requests as coming from the VPS location and not yours, as well as all data. This step is slightly more complicated than installing a virtual operating system. This is the most important step though, so complete it if you care about anonymity. These steps are specific to OpenVPN on Ubuntu, one of the most trusted free VPN solutions.
- Log into your VPS operating system. This operation will differ according to the chosen service.
- Visit the OpenVPN website and download the correct software package. You will find many options, so make sure you choose the right one for the VPS operating system. You can find all the files available at openvpn.net/index.php/access-server/download-openvpn-as-sw.html.
- Open the terminal on your VPS and type dpkg -i openvpnasdebpack.deb to install the OpenVPN software you downloaded. The commands will be different if you are not using Ubuntu or Debian.
- Type passwd openvpn and set a new password if prompted. It will be the password to be administered for the software.
- Open the web browser on your VPS and enter the address displayed on the terminal. The OpenVPN control panel will open. Log in with the same openvpn username and password you created. After logging in for the first time, your VPN is ready.
Step 5. Open a web browser on your virtual computer
You will need to log into the OpenVPN Connect Client to download the configuration file needed by your connection program.
- Enter the same address you used on the VPS to access the admin panel, without the / admin part of the address.
- Log in with the OpenVPN administrator account using "openvpn" as the username and the password you created earlier.
- Download the client.opvn or client.conf files to your virtual machine.
Step 6. Download the OpenVPN client to your virtual computer
After setting up the VPN on your VPS, you will need to configure your virtual computer to connect directly to it. The instructions below are for Ubuntu and Debian, so change the commands according to your OS version.
- Open the terminal and type sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn-gnome.
- Wait for the package to download and install.
- Open the Network Manager and click on the "VPN" tab.
- Click on the "Import" button and then select the configuration file you downloaded.
- Check your settings. The Certificate and Key fields should fill in automatically and your VPN address should appear in the Gateway field.
- Click on the "IPV4 Settings" tab and select "Automatic addresses (VPN) only" from the Methods drop-down menu. This way all your internet traffic will go through the VPN.
Step 7. Download the Tor Browser Bundle to your virtual computer
At this point, after setting up VPS and VPN, you are browsing with a good level of anonymity. Your VPN will encrypt all traffic the virtual machine receives and sends. If you want to increase your security even more, the Tor browser can add another layer of protection, sacrificing browsing speed.
- You can download the Tor browser from torproject.org.
- Running Tor through your VPN will hide the fact that you are using Tor from your ISP (it will only see the encrypted traffic of the VPN).
- Install Tor. The default settings offer a level of protection suitable for most users.
- For detailed information on using Tor, click here.
Step 8. Change VPS providers regularly
If anonymity is really important to you, you should change your VPS once a month. This means you'll have to reconfigure OpenVPN every time, but you'll get faster and faster as the experience grows. Make sure you completely reset one VPS before moving on to another.
Step 9. Browse smart
Now that you've set everything up, the security of your anonymity depends on your browsing habits.
- Use alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo or StartPage.
- Avoid sites with Javascript. Javascript codes can be used to reveal IP addresses to make traffic public.
- Disconnect from the Tor network when opening files that you have downloaded over the network.
- Do not download torrent files when connected to the Tor network.
- Avoid sites that don't use HTTPS (check the address bar to verify that the site is using HTTP and not
- Avoid installing plug-ins for your browser.
