In this digital age, staying connected all the time is the new normal. But along the way, you leave your digital footprint, making you vulnerable to hackers, digital scammers, advertisers, and the government. Hence, it is evident you would be worried and paranoid about your digital privacy and anonymity. Like others, you would also want to protect your sensitive digital data and reduce your online exposure. This is why you might want to know how to stay anonymous on the internet. Well, in this blog today, you will get all the information on this topic.
Among the most common solutions are VPNs and the Onion Browser (Tor). But you can also use some specialized tools to mask your online activities and identity. In this regard, Octo Browser is certainly one of the best tools for you to consider. This multi-account anti-detect browser enables you to manage several profiles without cross-contamination of data.
Understanding the Digital Threat Landscape
Prior to knowing ways and means of staying anonymous on the internet, you must understand the virtual threat landscape and what stems from it. Some of the ways your online identity can be tracked online are:
Tracking IP Address
Tracking your IP address gives scammers, hackers, and advertisers the details regarding your general location and ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Cookies and Tracking Pixels
Sites utilize these parameters to monitor and understand your behaviour across different websites and sessions.
Login Activity
Knowing your login activity also provides the advertisers and others with a lot of vital information.
Browser Fingerprinting
It reveals unique data and details about your browser setup.
Metadata Collection
This might leak essential details about you, like your login time and location, making you vulnerable to advertisers and scammers.
If you wish to prevent, stop, and get rid of these problems, then just using incognito mode is not enough. There are other things that you need to do.
How to Stay Anonymous on the Internet: Best Ways and Means to Consider
In order to browser and access the internet, there are various identifying markets (IP address, cookies, browser fingerprint, browse history, social media activity, etc.) that you need to randomize or obscure. In this regard, some of the methods that you should follow are:
Use VPNs
VPN (Virtual Private Network) should be your first line of defence in staying anonymous on the internet for all the right reasons. This is the fundamental tool for digital privacy and anonymity, which creates an encrypted tunnel between your system and a remote server operated by the VPN provider. It masks your real IP address, concealing it from your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and the websites you access.
The main thing for you is to choose a reputable and authentic VPN to get the best services. On the other hand, ensure that your VPN is always on or enabled, preventing accidental exposure of your IP address.
The Onion Router (Tor Browser)
If you are in search of a deeper anonymity, then, on top of using a VPN, you should opt for a Tor Browser. This is considered to be an excellent option for you to consider in this regard. This Onion Router effectively routes your web traffic through some decentralized network of volunteer-operated servers, encrypting it several times in the process. This is what makes it very difficult for hackers, scammers, advertisers, and ISPs to track your IP address, let alone your online activities.
Tor makes your data or web traffic travel through at least three random relays before reaching its destination. Each of these relays decrypts one layer of encryption to reveal the next relay’s address, similar to peeling layers of an onion.
But there are drawbacks to using Tor. Speed is its Achilles’ heel due to multiple layers of routing and encryption. Your browsing with Tor would certainly be slower than using nthe ormal internet for the obvious reasons. This this onion browser is mostly suited for sensitive browsing.
Anti-Detect Browsers
Apart from the above-described methods, you should also use anti-detect browsers to prevent websites from accessing your ‘browser fingerprint’. If sites can access your browser fingerprint, they would be able to access a lot of your vital digital information. This fingerprint is created by combining different pieces of information about your browser and device, such as browser type, version, operation system, language setting, resolution, and hardware components, among other things.
In this regard, you are required to use some good anti-detect browsers. Octo Browser is one such specialized anti-detect browser that comes with several features and functionalities. This browser has its own and customizable digital fingerprint. It lets you spoof different browser attributes, making every profile appear as an entirely different device to the sites you visit.
The Best Practices to Follow
Apart from using the above-mentioned tools and methods, there are some best practices that you should religiously follow while accessing the internet. This is how you would be able to maintain anonymity on the internet.
- Do Not on Social Media: Do not share much of your personal details on social media. Do not disclose details like date of birth, workplace, phone number, address, etc.
- Stay Away from Forms and Sign-Ups: Do not just process to fill out any random forms and sign-ups. Using a temporary email address while filling out such forms is ideal.
- Turn-Off Geolocation: Turn off the geolocation on your device on services and tools that do not need it.
- Use Ad Blockers: Always use some good ad-blockers to prevent intrusive and annoying advertisements.
- Use Privacy-Focused Browser Extensions: It would be wise on your part to use some privacy-focused browser extensions, and Privacy Badger, to ensure your anonymity.
- Use Strong Password: You are recommended to use strong passwords everywhere (system, social media). Make the passwords using letters, numbers, and special characters.
Conclusion
It is quite evident from the above discussion that maintaining your anonymity on the internet is not a one-time action. This is a continuous process and a lifestyle. It requires you to combine the right tools (Tor, VPNs, and Octo Browser) with following some best practices. Only ensuring secure communication, along with cautious behaviour, can ensure your online anonymity in the best way possible. Whether you are a random internet user or a professional, following the above-described strategies would be immensely helpful for you. So what are you waiting for? Get it on.
