As more and more information about how your data is used becomes available, more people are aware of the need to protect themselves online. Fortunately, it isn’t as complicated to secure your anonymity online as it might look on the face of it. This post will cover some of the best ways to keep yourself anonymous while surfing the web and, therefore, safer from hackers, snoopers, and other nefarious actors.
Use A Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Any post about online privacy simply wouldn’t be complete without first speaking about VPNs. VPNs are used to encrypt data that travels over public networks. This encryption prevents anyone from seeing your data, including your ISP and government agencies, as it travels to its destination. Individuals often use VPNs to protect their privacy while they use the internet. Businesses can also use them to allow employees access to company resources from remote locations or for individuals who want to protect themselves from snoopers on public Wi-Fi connections.
Fortunately, you can get very high-quality VPNs for a low cost, and the longer you take out a subscription, the higher the discounts will be. You can often find a premium account from NordVPN (consistently rated as one of the best options) for less than a cup of coffee per month! When in the market for a VPN, you should check out previews, and to remain completely anonymous, your chosen option should have a no-log policy.
Use Encrypted Messaging Apps
When selecting an app, you should understand what secure messaging actually means. Encrypted messaging apps are a type of messaging app that uses encryption to send messages. These apps usually have end-to-end encryption and are more secure than other messaging apps. The term “end-to-end” means that the message is encrypted on the sender’s device and decrypted on the receiver’s device so that no one can read it in between. This is done using either a public key or a shared secret key. The most common these days include:
- Signal
- Wire
- Threema
- Telegram
- Private
- Wickr Me
Avoid Or Reduce Your Social Media Use
Social media is the most popular way to connect with people and has become a necessity in today’s world for many people. But, it can also be dangerous if you want to remain anonymous. One of the reasons is that social media platforms collect as much data as they can about you, including your posts and what you like. This makes it easier for them to identify who you are and even find out where you live. Another reason is that plenty of people have access to all your information on social media platforms, which means anyone can see what you post or comment on and take screenshots of it without your knowledge. If you really can’t live without it, you should try to reduce your use and avoid posting everything about your life. For example, it is effortless for someone to know your movements from your posts.
Use Encrypted Email
Email is undoubtedly a dominant part of most people’s lives. You use it for work, entertainment, and socializing. But when you are online, you are leaving your identity behind. Your IP address can be tracked to your location, and your browser history can be used to reveal some of the websites you visit. Encrypted email is an easy way to protect your identity online. It prevents anyone from intercepting and reading your messages in transit or at the recipient’s end. The encryption process starts with the sender encrypting the message using a public key to create an encrypted message. The sender then sends this encrypted message to the receiver, who decrypts it using their private key. The encryption used for email is not perfect, but it does offer protection against hackers, government surveillance, and other threats.
Use An Adblocker
Ad Blockers are often used with other content blockers to remove advertising from social media sites like Facebook and YouTube. The effectiveness of ad blocking has been debated due to its impact on revenue streams for websites and publishers. However, they can help block websites from gathering and storing your data.
Disable Tracking In Apps
If you want to ensure that your private data is not being collected, you should disable app tracking features. The good news is that it is straightforward to do, and both iOS and Android have features to do so. In fact, Apple recently introduced a feature that forces apps to ask users for permission before they can track you. This has had such a significant impact that it has even sent shares of a major data hoarding technology company tumbling as a result!
Anonymity and security online cannot be achieved by one single method. There will always be a constant cat and mouse game as new ways to safeguard your privacy and anonymity are invented and thwarted. Utilizing the tips in this article, you can greatly increase your chances of remaining anonymous and secure online.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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