Technology – and most importantly, the internet – is a major part of our daily lives. Some use and rely on it for almost all of their day to day tasks. But, despite it’s many wonderful qualities and uses, it can be a dangerous place for those who aren’t educated in the safety measures one must take in order to remain anonymous.
Here are ten basic and simple ways to protect your identity and stay anonymous online.
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| Top 10 Methods for Staying Anonymous Online |
1) Avoid Social Media Sites
I know what you’re thinking. Social media is extremely popular in today’s world. But, with this popularity also comes the countless scams and other numerous nasty bugs and leaks – especially on sites like Facebook and Twitter where you don’t hesitate to share your sensitive information. So, the best way is to just delete your account and keep yourself safe. But, if you must use social media, make sure you tweak and adjust all available options and security settings to protect your privacy as much as possible.
2) VPN
A VPN is a very effective way to encrypt your identity. This virtual private network provides you with an alternative IP address that lets your traffic be untraceable to your device. It can also help you gain access to some restricted websites in your area.
3) Alternative Search Engines Preferred
If you’re a conscious user and not ready to compromise your privacy, then it’s time to change your search engine. It’s because the most popular ones extract a lot of information about you and your browsing preferences. They give you good speed, but not security.
4) Delete Cookies
It’s a fact that cookies help to trace your activities online. Websites use cookies, which are downloaded on your device. You need to manually clean them from the settings of your browser in order to wipe off all traces of your online activities.
5) Email Security
Everyone has an webmail email account these days with service providers like Google, Yahoo, etc. But, these are not entirely secure and extensions are needed to increase the security. For example, Google mail users can use SecureGmail for the privacy of their emails.
6) Secure Protocol Websites
Websites with the https:// protocol offer a secure connection, which means your connection is encrypted. Still, many websites have not yet adopted this secure protocol. You can have the HTTPS Everywhere extension, which keeps you away from unsecured connections.
7) Password Strength
Authentication is facilitated with the help of passwords. If you want your personal information and accounts to be secure, you need to use a strong password, which will not be easy to remember. For this, you need a password manager where you can store all your passwords and use just one master password for access.
8) Private Mode Browsing
If you’re browsing using one of the browsers like Chrome, IE or Firefox, storing of cookies on visiting a site each time can be avoided by just browsing in private mode.
9) The Onion Router (TOR)
TOR is a network used for improved online security by providing anonymous tunnels. The TOR browser was initially designed for the US military and makes it difficult to track activities on the web. This browser sometimes get slow and beginners might have difficulty adjusting to it at first.
10) Secure OS
The choice of operating system remains a challenge when it comes to security. Some operating systems like Whonix guard your privacy. It’s designed based on the TOR network and security is its main priority. The best part is, it’s free.
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