Tips & Tricks: Surfing the Internet anonymously - how does it work?

Anyone who travels the Internet or only reads something leaves traces everywhere - often more than he or she likes. Here are a few tips on how to surf the Internet anonymously without revealing too much about yourself.

Surf anonymously?

Has it ever happened to you that your computer suddenly suggests products to buy while browsing or in apps that you had been looking for a few days earlier?

It is, of course, convenient that your online book shop only recommends related books after you have placed your first order. But at the latest when the first spam e-mails addressed to you personally appear in your mailbox or advertisements on the next visit to the Internet show exactly the same product that you were looking for recently, it becomes obvious: A little more anonymous on the Internet would sometimes not be wrong.

Here are a few simple behaviors that will leave you fewer traces on the web.

Use alternatives to Google: anonymous search engines

If you want to avoid disclosing too much data about yourself, you can switch to special search engines. Because large providers such as Google, Bing or Yahoo store your IP address (Internet Protocol address) in addition to your search terms. Using this IP address, a website visit, a download and many other activities can be assigned to your internet connection at any time - and thus to yourself or your household.

To prevent this, you can switch to the private surfing function. Please note, however, that depending on the browser, depending on the browser, no page information, search entries or other activities are saved and forwarded in the browser, your IP address can still be recognized.

The various common browsers have used different names for the function of private surfing - here the corresponding names:

• Google Chrome: incognito mode (incognito window)

• Mozilla Firefox: Private Mode (Private Window)

• Microsoft Edge & Internet Explorer: InPrivate Browsing (InPrivate Window)

• Apple Safari :

Mac: Private Surfing (Private Window)

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: private surfing

• Opera: private mode

Search engines such as Ixquick ( https://www.ixquick.com ) or Duck Duck Go ( https://duckduckgo.com ), on the other hand, do not save this data - and still use the search results of the major providers - so you remain undetected.

We at Intelvue use this option very often - especially when we want to find out for themselves or customers how their websites are listed on Google & Co. Because if you want to get a reasonably reliable result here, the search engine must not "recognize" the searcher and his computer - which is usually guaranteed in private mode.

Keep an eye out for cookies

The simplest measure is to refrain from using cookies. Cookies are small data packets that certain websites store on your computer. There, for example, you will find information about which articles you were looking for and which you have purchased. You can usually switch off this function in the settings menu of your browser.

However, some Web and Mobile App Development Websites no longer function correctly without cookies. An alternative is therefore to allow cookies but to delete them at regular intervals. This delete function is also found in most browsers in the settings menu (often also quickly accessible via the key combination CTRL + SHIFT + DEL). There you should also delete the list of the Internet addresses you visited (history/history), the saved passwords, saved form entries, and other saved data at regular intervals.

Also, you should under no circumstances save important passwords or access data in your browser, as they are relatively easy to access for hackers and third parties with some know-how. Instead, use a password manager like Keepass or Enpass.

Surf anonymously with the help of browser add-ons

Use so-called add-ons to make your visit to the Internet as secure and anonymous as possible. Add-ons are extensions that can be added in browsers such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome to switch off scripting languages ​​such as JavaScript and Flash. Scripting languages ​​are necessary to call up dynamic content such as videos or to validate form content. However, the interactions of the Internet user can also be evaluated or tracked using script languages.

With add-ons, you can turn JavaScript / Flash (e.g. with NoScript ) and ad blockers (e.g. with Adblock Plus ) on or off at the touch of a button to leave no traces.

Virtual “cover” via Tor browser or proxy server

Alternatively, you can surf the Internet anonymously using the Tor browser. With this browser, several anonymous nodes are used in succession to blur your traces.

Another well-known way to travel anonymously on the Internet is to use a so-called proxy server (often simply called a proxy). By "tunneling" your data traffic through this intermediate point, you will wipe your traces.

When using a proxy server, your true IP address is no longer recognizable on the Internet. This makes it much more difficult for "data octopuses" to find out who visited a particular professional website. You can find a list of free proxy servers and how to set them up using the search engine with the search terms "use proxy server free" or directly here.

You can also use a Tor network. This is used to anonymize your network of connection data and thus prevent anyone from analyzing your data traffic.

Use pseudonyms

Last but not least, you should avoid disclosing personal information whenever possible. This applies especially to pages that are easily accessible to others, such as profiles in forums. If possible, use a pseudonym there instead of your real name. For private interests, it is also worth setting up an additional email address (usually with a free email provider). Again, you should choose a pseudonym as the address that does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about your full name.

However, some sites, such as career networks, do not allow the use of pseudonyms. Here you should think carefully about which personal data you reveal about yourself and which could later possibly have a detrimental effect on your career. If you no longer use access to a forum, a social network or an online shop, then delete it. If this is not possible, ask the operator of the site to remove your data completely.

Conclusion

You now know different ways of surfing the Internet anonymously, most of them even free of charge. If you miss an option in the article, or if you have a preferred method or software for anonymized surfing, please let us know in the comments below.