Anonymous Web Browsing
Justin Mongiardo
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
The internet is hardly a private place. In fact, with the right tools, it is possible for someone to monitor every move you make online. However, you can protect your internet identity by participating in anonymous web browsing using a proxy. This will hide your IP address and any other identifying information that may be attainable through the web.
Every time you access a website, your computer transmits some personal information to the site’s server. This always includes your IP address and may involve other information about your location or computer. Unfortunately, some creative minds have learned to use this information to trace you and find out even more private details. Some people have even had their identity stolen by using the internet. Obviously, most users want to prevent this from happening. That’s where anonymous web browsing can be quite useful. By browsing the web this way, your private information is protected from theft.
Achieving internet anonymity requires the use of a web proxy. Web proxies are essentially the middle-men of the web. Your information is transmitted to the proxy, which then forwards you to your destination. There is no direct interaction between your computer and the site you visit. Thus, a proxy will hide your identity from other websites. It can also prevent cookies from being saved and remove certain JavaScript. These are also threats to privacy that can result in identifying information being accessed by an unwanted viewer.
By hiding your information, web proxies can also help you gain access to blocked sites. For example, if your employer or school blocks websites that may be used for personal activities, anonymous surfing can help you gain access. The best proxies will allow you to access more than 99% of all sites regardless of preventative measures taken. This is done by encrypting links and preventing your computer from realizing your true destination.
There are several ways to access a proxy service. If you just want it for occasional usage, you can browse to a proxy website and then navigate to your destination from there. However, if you want to permanently browse anonymously, you can download a desktop client, like ProxEasy. These tools automatically route you through a proxy every time you access the internet.
Many web proxy tools are available for free. However, some of these free utilities may have drawbacks. For example, they may not correctly display all images, or they may force you to view unwanted advertisements. Other services ask for a small month fee, which provides you with greater bandwidth and greater security protection.
Anonymous web browsing via a proxy service allows you to control who can see your personal information on the internet. Finding a proxy server is easy to do and can greatly benefit your web experience. So, for anyone with concerns about internet privacy, or who simply wants to find a distraction at work, anonymous browsing is the way to go.