Best Tips for Internet Anonymity

May 28, 2019

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It’s very hard to stay anonymous on the internet nowadays. With all the ways that governments and hackers can get a hold of people’s identities and online activities, it has become more important that users protect themselves. We understand the struggle, and we’ve got your back! Here are the best tips for internet anonymity that will help you protect your privacy and stay hidden online.

Use a VPN

The first way to protect anonymity on the internet is to use a VPN. The Virtual Private Network is a software that has recently become a very popular method for protecting privacy. It works by encrypting all of the data before an internet provider or a WiFi recognize a new user.

So, when someone wants to visit a website, they make a request to access the content on that site. The website sees that the request is coming from the VPN server and the location of the VPN. Therefore, a VPN hides the user’s identity and location.

What is a VPN?

As we previously mentioned, a VPN hides the data from the website and the network that someone wants to access. Every search goes through the VPN server first. Then, the VPN sends a request to the website, and that website is only able to recognize the information from the private network. Thus, we can say that a Virtual Private Network connects to the internet on behalf of the user.

Therefore, the VPN protects the privacy and security of a user. The website sees that there is someone accessing it, but it can only see the VPN as the origin of traffic, not the user.

The Virtual Private Network conceals all of the user’s data beforehand. So, in case someone sees the requests a user is making, they’ll be able to see encrypted data instead of real information. That way, a VPN makes it very hard for someone to track the user’s online activities.

However, there is a problem that can occur when using a VPN. The network works by encrypting every action, so the connection can be slow. Thus, it might take users more time to complete their work.

Another downside to using a VPN is the fact that users need to download software on their computers in order to obtain the network. So, in case someone uses multiple devices or wants to ensure anonymous search at work, a VPN isn’t the most convenient option.

Use private proxies with your VPN

Users can have an additional layer of security by using private proxies with their VPN. However, this combo works well only in special circumstances.

If someone wants to ensure their anonymity for SEO or social media automation, then adding proxies to the VPN is a good idea. Proxies will provide the best protection and speed.

What are private proxy servers?

Proxies are the middlemen that connect users to websites they want to visit. In addition to passing on web requests, they filter the web and protect users’ privacy. What’s more, proxies cache data in order to provide better and faster service.

When someone wants to visit a certain site, they send a request. Proxies then receive that request, collect necessary information about it, and forward the data. As a result, users receive the page they wanted in their browser.

There are various types of proxies. When it comes to anonymity and privacy, the best choice is opting for private proxies. They give access to only one user, which ensures faster service. Users have their own IP address, and they have the ability to bypass geographical restrictions thanks to the possibility to choose an IP from a different location.

Private proxies are the perfect choice for anonymous web browsing and bypassing restrictions on the internet. They don’t encrypt all the data, so they provide a faster service than a VPN. What’s more, proxies don’t require software. Thus, they can be easily installed on any computer.

Tor over a VPN

The extra step that a user can take to ensure privacy and anonymity is using Tor over a VPN. That way, users will be harder to identify and trace.

Tor is short for The Onion Router. It was made by the U.S. Navy and was used for browsing the internet anonymously. However, things changed over time. Now, Tor is free software available to anyone who wants to hide their identity online.

The Tor hides the identity of users by encrypting their data and moving their traffic across various servers. So, the traffic appears to be coming from different nodes on the Tor network instead of a user’s computer.

Users who want to use this network will be very pleased with how simple it is to set up. They’ll just need to download the Tor browser, and they’re good to go.

The downside of Tor network is the fact that the connection can be slow. That’s because every search needs to go through the Tor and all the data comes through many relays so that the anonymity can be secured.

Another disadvantage of the Tor can be attributed to the way that the software works. It directs the traffic through a volunteer overlay network which can make the Tor a very unreliable option.

How to configure a Tor over a VPN

In order to set up a Tor network over a VPN, users need to first connect to the VPN server. The Virtual Private Network will encrypt all the traffic. Then, that encrypted data will go to the Tor network.

This combination doubles the security and anonymity of a user. What’s more, when users connect to the VPN first, the Internet Service Provider can’t recognize that they are using the Tor.

Hiding the search from the ISP is very important because accessing the browser is easier than getting into the network. There have been multiple occasions where the NSA was able to obtain information from users via their browsers. So, users can ensure their anonymity and protect their privacy by combining the Tor software with the Virtual Private Network.

To sum up

It’s becoming more and more important to find ways to protect anonymity on the internet. In this article, we presented the best tips in order to help users protect their online presence.

So, the first thing that a user can try is a VPN. The Virtual Private Network will encrypt all the user’s data and hide their identity. We think that this network provides a great way to stay anonymous online. However, the fact that it requires software and it can be slow can pose an inconvenience to some users.

Another tip on our list is using a Tor over a VPN. This combination will provide additional protection and ensure that users’ search and location are harder to trace. But, using a Tor in addition to the Virtual Private network is very complicated. What’s more, there’s a risk of the connection not being fast enough.

The third method of preserving anonymity on the internet is using private proxies. Users can combine proxies with a VPN or use them on their own. Private proxies pass on web requests while hiding users’ IP addresses and providing a layer of protection. They are very easy to use and they provide users with a great, fast connection.

Therefore, we have to name private proxies as the winner. They will provide internet anonymity while ensuring the fastest connection. In addition, proxies don’t require software so you can use them on any device!