Online anonymity has become increasingly important, with the rate of data theft and credit card fraud on the rise.
Beyond the risk of having personal information stolen, some internet users prefer to surf the web incognito without leaving too many breadcrumbs that lead back to them.
Total anonymity is challenging, on the edge of impossible maybe, but with the following tips and a security-conscious outlook, it is possible to stay relatively anonymous online.
Use VPNs
The first tip is to use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
It is important to note that they are not the one-stop-anonymity-answer as they are often advertised, but the right choice of VPN is, without a doubt, a great step in the right direction.
The simplest way to look at a VPN service is that it creates a tunnel between your internet-ready device and the server you are exchanging data with to keep prying eyes out.
How it does this is by routing your data through the VPN’s secure server so that your data can not be intercepted.
It’s important to choose a reliable VPN service with a no-log policy, as your data is truly private only then.
This means that the VPN service provider assures you that your IP address, DNS queries, and internet traffic will not be saved on their servers.
Anonymous Payment Methods
A great deal of surfing the internet is purchasing goods and services, and using traditional payment methods can be a chink in your anonymity armour.
This is because users are often required to provide KYC information, usually as part of the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) measures.
The problem, however, is that it leaves your data vulnerable in the event of system compromises.
It is one of the many reasons users are leaning away from gamstop casinos, the UKGC’s self-exclusion initiative, and towards casinos not on gamstop.
Nick Pappas’s reviews of these casinos show that they mostly employ cryptocurrency and blockchain technology that not only makes transactions cheaper and faster but removes the need for pesky KYC requirements.
It’s important to note that cryptocurrency and blockchain technology can be used outside the gaming industry.
The adoption of crypto technologies has become so pronounced that you can use it to go grocery shopping at your favourite walk-in store or order yourself a brand new sound system online, all anonymous.
Use Private Web Browsers
“This site accepts cookies.”
This text, written this way or in other forms, is everywhere on the internet.
It helps create a personalised experience, and it does this by collecting your data for the next time you visit the website.
It is how that e-commerce store remembers what products you added to your cart and knows what else to recommend.
In a way, it is tidbits of personal information that you share online when you use the internet and, consequently, a vulnerability.
No, Incognito mode is not enough, as Google has recently made it clear that it tracks users even when they are incognito.
The solution is to say goodbye to these ad trackers and embrace privacy-oriented browsers like DuckDuckGo, Ghostery, and Tor, among others.
These browsers are available on Android, Windows, and MacOS.
(pic from Unplash, free user licence)
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