You are on page 1of 27

(http://www.extremetech.

com)

HOME (HTTP://WWW.EXTREMETECH.COM)
INTERNET (HTTP://WWW.EXTREMETECH.COM/CATEGORY/INTERNET)
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO STAYING ANONYMOUS AND PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY ONLINE

The ultimate guide to staying anonymous and protecting your


privacy online
By Grant Brunner (http://www.extremetech.com/author/gbrunner) on August 13, 2015 at 8:53 am
33 Comments (http://www.extremetech.com/internet/180485-the-ultimate-guide-to-staying-anonymous-and-protectingyour-privacy-online#disqus_thread)

Share This article


1.9K

572

137

75

Now more than ever, your online privacy is under attack. Your ISP, advertisers, and governments
around the world are increasingly interested in knowing exactly what youre up to when you browse
the web. Whether youre a political activist or simply someone who hates the idea of third-parties
snooping around, there are plenty of tools available to keep prying eyes off of your trac.

In this post, Im going to highlight 18 ways to increase your online privacy. Some methods are more
complicated than others, but if youre serious about privacy, these tips will help you remain
anonymous on the open Web. Of course, Internet security
(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/131384-how-to-surf-safely-from-lastpass-to-tin-foil-hats-andeverything-in-between) is a topic in and of itself, so youre going to need to do some reading
(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/139191-staying-safe-online-using-a-password-manager-justisnt-enough) to remain thoroughly protected on all fronts. And remember, even the most careful
among us are still vulnerable to imperfect technology (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/heartbleed).

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TOR.png)

The Onion Router (Tor)


If anonymity is what youre after, The Onion Router (Tor) is what you need. It uses a vast network of
computers to route your Web trac through a number of encrypted layers to obscure the origin of the
trac. Tor is a vital tool for political dissidents and whistleblowers to anonymously share information,
and you can just as easily use it to help protect your privacy.
Without a doubt, the easiest way to get started is by downloading the Tor Browser Bundle
(https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html.en). This customized branch of Firefox
automatically connects to the Tor network, and includes some of the privacy-enhancing browser
extensions discussed later in this post. This package has everything you need to use Tor successfully,
but youll also need to change your web surng behavior to retain as much anonymity as possible. You
need to make sure to abide by the Tor warnings
(https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html.en#warning), and remember that this isnt a

magic bullet for internet privacy. It still has weaknesses


(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_%28anonymity_network%29#Weaknesses). For more information,
we have an entire post dedicated to installing and using Tor
(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/101633-how-to-use-tor-and-is-it-actually-safe-andanonymous).

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TorGuard.png)

VPN
If youre very serious about maintaining your anonymity, consider investing in a VPN solution like
TorGuard (http://torguard.net/pcmag-vpn-discount.php) or Private Internet Access
(https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/buy-vpn/ExtremeTech). These services essentially allow
you to disguise your trac. Your real IP address will be hidden from the world, and your trac will
remain indecipherable to nosy ISPs or governments.
Even if your government is actively on the lookout for VPN trac
(http://www.extremetech.com/internet/144330-china-turning-its-isps-into-internet-police), you can still
benet from so-called stealth VPNs. TorGuard offers its stealth VPN service at no additional cost, and
it will make government detection and interference much harder to accomplish. For those of you
being held hostage by your government, VPNs are by far the best bet for bypassing censorship and
snooping.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/DNS-Leak-Test.png)

DNS leak testing


Even if youre using a privacy service (like a VPN) to hide your IP address, its still possible to give
away clues to your identity via your DNS trac. Thankfully, its easy to detect if your conguration is
leaking your DNS information. Simply head over to DNSLeakTest.com (https://dnsleaktest.com/), and
run the extended test.
If the results show the third-party DNS service youre using (like TorGuard), youre set. If your ISPs
DNS info shows up, you have a DNS leak. Follow the steps listed on the How to x a DNS leak
(https://dnsleaktest.com/how-to-x-a-dns-leak.html) page, and then test yourself again to make sure
everything is working as intended.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Virtual-Machine.png)

Virtual machines
Keep in mind, your browser isnt the only vector for third parties to invade your privacy. PDFs and
other seemingly harmless les can serve as homing beacons, and potentially alert government entities
when youre viewing planted contraband. To prevent any sort of unintended breach of privacy, you
should open suspect les inside of a virtual machine (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/virtualbox).
Load up your favorite Linux distribution (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/linux) inside of VirtualBox,
congure it to your liking, and then save a snapshot of your VM. Next, download your desired le
(using the protections illuminated in this article), and then shut off your virtual machines access to the
Internet. Once youre sure that the VM is cut off completely from the network, you can now open the
le safely. Read what you need to read, make notes, and then shut down the virtual machine. Next
time you need to view a le inside a VM, youll have your snapshot ready to go.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Third-Party-Cookies.png)

Blocking third-party cookies


Third-party cookies are one of the most common methods that advertisers use to track your browsing
habits. If you visit two sites using the same advertising service, rest assured that the advertiser is
keeping tabs on that information. Thankfully, every major Web browser offers the ability to turn off
tracking cookies. Without third-party cookies, advertisers have to work much harder to monitor which
pages you visit. While this is far from a panacea, it shuts down the most common vector used by
advertisers to build usage proles.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Geolocation.png)

Blocking location data


In recent years, many sites have begun using location data to offer specic services, and serve
targeted advertisements. Mapping applications obviously have legitimate reasons for gathering
location data, but that same technique can be used to help identify who you are. Any legitimate
browser should offer the ability to toggle on and off location data, and I recommend leaving it off
completely. At the very least, demand that websites prompt you for access before gathering the data.
That said, IP-based geolocation data is incredibly trivial to acquire, so remain vigilant. If youre
browsing the Web without a proxy or a VPN, youre effectively broadcasting your IP to every server
you come across, and that information can be used against you. Its not necessarily something you
have to worry about constantly, but its worth keeping that fact in the back of your mind if youre
criticizing your local dictator or blowing a whistle on the NSA
(http://www.extremetech.com/tag/edward-snowden).

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Do-Not-Track1.png)

Do not track
The Do not track HTTP header is an optional message that browsers can send to Web servers. You
can easily enable it in your browsers settings, but its rather limited in scope. For this to work at all, the
Web server needs to be congured to respect this ag. There is absolutely no requirement of any kind
that any website needs to obey this setting, so dont expect widespread protection from trackers. Still,
you dont have much to lose. The only potential issue here is that its an additional datapoint for
browser ngerprinting. But if enough people are using it, that shouldnt be a real issue.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/plug-ins.png)

Plug-in management
Even if your browser is congured properly to hide your identifying information, plug-ins can still be
used to endanger your anonymity. If youre serious about remaining anonymous, you should avoid
running plug-ins altogether. Unfortunately, that can leave a number of popular websites completely
unusable. To solve this problem, I recommend a hybrid approach.
First of all, you need to congure your browser to require your approval to run any plug-in. Chrome
and Firefox offer this functionality by default, and extensions
(http://hoyois.github.io/safariextensions/clicktoplugin/) offer this capability in other browsers. Next, you
need to make sure youre running sandboxed plug-ins. While this is mostly considered a security issue,
a rogue plug-in could certainly be used to gather your personal information by an organization like the
NSA. Chrome can be congured to completely disallow un-sandboxed plug-ins, but it can be trickier
with some other browsers. Windows users can opt to run their browsers inside of an application called
Sandboxie (http://www.sandboxie.com/), so even less sophisticated browsers can receive similar
benets.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/No-Script.png)

JavaScript blocking
JavaScript is an incredibly powerful language, but it also has the capability of leaking out identifying
information. By design, it can deliver detailed information to any Web server about your setup. What
plug-ins do you have enabled? What size screen are you using? Those small pieces of information can
add up, and make tracking your usage prole easier for advertisers and governments. Worse,
unpatched JavaScript exploits could potentially be used to trick your browser into giving up even
more identifying information.
If you want to be truly anonymous, youre going to need to disable JavaScript. Of course, thats easier
said than done. Many websites rely on JavaScript for core functionality, so youd be effectively kneecapping your Web browser. Thankfully, there is a way to have your cake and eat it too. By using a
browser extension like NoScript (http://noscript.net/) or scriptno (https://code.google.com/p/scriptno/),
you can personally manage which domains are given permission to run JavaScript in your browser.
This way, you can whitelist domains and webpages that you trust, but you can bypass all of the
baggage that comes along with running any ol JavaScript that comes along on the web.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Ghostery.png)

Ghostery browser extension


If youre serious about protecting your privacy, consider installing Ghostery
(https://www.ghostery.com/en/download) in Firefox, Chrome, Opera, IE, or Safari. This adorable little
browser extension allows you to block trackers from all over the web in one place. Better yet, it
displays just exactly which tracking services are being used on your favorite websites, and allows you
to dynamically enable or disable tracking as you see t. Its simple to use, and extremely customizable.
If you hate the idea of being spied on by advertisers, this is exactly the extension youre looking for.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Privacy-Badger.png)

Privacy Badger browser extension

If youre looking for a set it and forget it method of blocking trackers online, try out the EFFs Privacy
Badger (https://www.eff.org/privacybadger) add-on. Available for Chrome and Firefox, this browser
extension monitors when sites try to track your browsing habits, and automatically thwarts future
tracking attempts.
While this add-on is built using the Ad-Block Plus codebase, this isnt really an ad-blocking tool.
Instead, the EFF is only interested in blocking snoops. Best of all, the list of blocked content
automatically improves the more you browse no need to ddle with lters by hand.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/HTTPS-Everywhere.png)

HTTPS Everywhere browser extension


In spite of the infamous Heartbleed vulnerability, SSL is still your best bet for keeping your Web trac
safe from prying eyes. If you want to keep nosy packet sniffers out of your business, your Web trac
should always be going through SSL connections. Sadly, not every website supports SSL. Even worse,
many websites that do support SSL still default to unencrypted connections and the Electronic
Frontier Foundation wants to change that. The HTTPS Everywhere browser extension
(https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere), provided for free by the EFF, forces SSL connections on
countless websites. Chrome, Firefox, and Opera users can all take advantage of this wonderful
extension, and keep important Web trac private and secure.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Disable-WebRTC.png)

Disable WebRTC
Did you know that your browser can leak some of your network information to any web server that
asks for it? If your browser has WebRTC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebRTC) enabled, your internal
IP can be accessed by any given website, and it can potentially reveal your real IP address
(https://torrentfreak.com/huge-security-aw-leaks-vpn-users-real-ip-addresses-150130/) while using a
VPN.
If youre using Firefox, you can go into about:cong (about:cong), and set
media.peerconnection.enabled to false. Alternately, you can use this add-on
(https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/refox/addon/happy-bonobo-disable-webrtc/?src=api) as a simple
toggle. If youre using Chrome (and its derivatives), the situation is more complicated. Installing the
WebRTC Block add-on (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/webrtcblock/nphkkbaidamjmhfanlpblblcadhfbkdm) will help hide your real IP address if youre using a VPN,
< 10 Gbps Speeds, 8 Worldwide
but it doesnt work if youre using a proxy. Sadly, Google simply doesnt allow the desktop version of
Locations, 6000+ IPs, 24/7
Chrome to turn off WebRTC completely.

Fastest & Cheapest VPN


Provider

Support.

Sign up now

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Screen-Shot-2015-08-12-at-1.54.59PM.png)

BetterPrivacy browser extension


Even if youre blocking traditional cookies, some sites can still track you using LSOs (Local Shared
Objects) commonly known as Flash cookies. If you never use Flash, these wont be a problem, but
that can be incredibly dicult to pull off for some of us.

Of course, you could congure Flash to block all LSOs, but that would break some Flash content.
Thankfully, there is a simple plug-in for Firefox called BetterPrivacy (https://addons.mozilla.org/enUS/refox/addon/betterprivacy/) that allows you to granularly manage your LSOs just as you would
with normal cookies.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Screen-Shot-2015-08-12-at-3.05.10PM.png)

Browser leak testing


Is your browser disclosing personally identiable information? Head over to BrowserLeaks.com
(https://www.browserleaks.com), and take a gander at all of the data your browser is giving away. This
toolset will never be completely exhaustive, but if you want to verify that your privacy and security
precautions are really working, this site is an invaluable asset.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Panopticlick.png)

Panopticlick
How easy is it for web servers to identify your browser ngerprint? It all depends on how youve
congured it, really. To see just how unique your ngerprint is, head on over to Panopticlick
(https://panopticlick.eff.org/). This handy little tool, owned and operated by the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, quickly tells you just exactly what your browser is broadcasting to the world. The more
information given away, the easier it will be to identify you. And if you want to improve your
Panopticlick score, take a moment to read Peter Eckersleys article on the matter
(https://panopticlick.eff.org/browser-uniqueness.pdf), and adjust your congurations as you see t.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Screen-Shot-2015-08-12-at-1.56.55PM.png)

Use different email accounts


When you sign-up for user accounts across the web, using a different email address for each site is a
good way to throw unscrupulous third-parties off of your trail. If youre merely creating a throwaway
account on a whim, consider using disposable email accounts from sites like Mailinator
(https://mailinator.com/) or YopMail (http://www.yopmail.com/en/). Anybody can access those inboxes,
though, so use discretion.
If you actually want to maintain legitimate accounts on sites like Facebook or Twitter, you can create
numerous free email accounts, and then congure email forwarding to funnel all of the messages into
a single inbox. Its a lot of additional work, but it also offers the benet of being able to easily detect
which sites are selling your information to spammers.

(http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/WiFi-Sense.png)

Stop Microsoft from storing your WiFi passwords


Windows 10s WiFi Sense feature tracks your private WiFi passwords, sends them to Microsofts
servers, and then shares them with your friends when they come to visit. While this could certainly
come in handy, its potentially a huge security risk if Microsofts database is ever compromised. If you
want to turn off this functionality, check out this article (http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/209208windows-10s-new-wi-sense-shares-your-wi-password-with-facebook-outlook-and-skype-contacts)
written by our own Joel Hruska.

Justified paranoia

You might not think you have anything to hide, but that doesnt mean you shouldnt enjoy the benets
of online privacy. Some of these recommendations are a real hassle to live with Im well aware. Its a
lot easier to shove your ngers in your ears, and pretend like the NSA (http://12mars.rsf.org/2014en/enemies-of-the-internet-2014-entities-at-the-heart-of-censorship-and-surveillance/) and your ISP
(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/199372-atts-kansas-city-gigabit-matches-google-bers-priceif-you-let-the-company-spy-on-you) arent watching every move you make. But what you browse is
your business, and your business alone. Now is the time to stand up for yourself, and take back your
privacy.
[Image credit: Nit Soto (https://secure.ickr.com/photos/edith_soto/7271415680/sizes/o/)]

ium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=thumbnailsa:BelowArticleThumbnailsArticlegtd:)
ium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=thumbnailsa:BelowArticleThumbnailsArticlegtd:)
(https://go.babbel.com/engmag-a58-vid-bv17-turkishweek-tb/default?
ium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=thumbnailsa:BelowArticleThumbnailsArticlegtd:)
utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=CON&utm_campaign=cd_engall_gen_cuk_hometownlearning&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15extremetech)

7 Tricks For How To Learn Any Language In 7 Days


Babbel

(https://go.babbel.com/engmag-a58-vid-bv17-turkishweek-tb/default?
utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=CON&utm_campaign=cd_engall_gen_cuk_hometownlearning&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15extremetech)
(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/sparta-war-of-empires/?plid=64551&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)

The Most Exciting MMORPG You've Ever Played. Don't miss this!
Sparta Online Game

(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/sparta-war-of-empires/?plid=64551&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)
(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/stormfall-age-of-war/?plid=65759&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)

A New MMORPG You Won't Get Bored With. Click Here To Try!
Stormfall - Online Game

(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/stormfall-age-of-war/?plid=65759&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)
(http://www.sportfluff.com/10-cute-child-stars-that-grew-up-ugly/?utm_campaign=SPFUgly&utm_content=P245-T8-cutejoelcuteuglystar&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)

Unbelievable transformation! Cute Child Star to Ugly Adult


SportFluff

(http://www.sportfluff.com/10-cute-child-stars-that-grew-up-ugly/?utm_campaign=SPFUgly&utm_content=P245-T8-cutejoelcuteuglystar&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)
(http://www.celebrityrevolt.com/15-celebs-who-are-way-older-than-you-probably-think/?utm_campaign=TB201503&utm_content=P692-T17salma-oldcelebs&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc)

15 Celebs Whose Age Will BLOW Your MIND


Celebrity Revolt

(http://www.celebrityrevolt.com/15-celebs-who-are-way-older-than-you-probably-think/?utm_campaign=TB201503&utm_content=P692-T17salma-oldcelebs&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc)
(http://www.starfluff.com/child-stars-how-have-they-grown/?utm_campaign=SFchildstars&utm_content=P127-T29-deweychildstars2&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)

15 Cute Child Actors Who Grew Up To Be Ugly


StarFluff

(http://www.starfluff.com/child-stars-how-have-they-grown/?utm_campaign=SFchildstars&utm_content=P127-T29-deweychildstars2&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)

a&taboola_utm_content=hybridtextlinksa:BelowArticleTextLinksArticlegtd:)
FromAroundtheWeb
WeRecommend
WhyImdumpingGoogleChrome
(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/210576-why-imdumping-google-chrome)

Ouruniverseisahologram,andwerefloating
insideofit,suggestsnewresearch
(http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/172812-our-universe-is-ahologram-and-were-floating-inside-of-it-suggests-new-research)

MicrosoftquietlykillsoffthedesktopPC
(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/115003-microsoft-quietlykills-off-the-desktop-pc)

ThedeathofFirefox
(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/116885-the-death-offirefox)

UKfallsbackintodeflation (ProfessionalPensions)
(http://www.professionalpensions.com/professionalpensions/news/2430192/uk-falls-back-into-deflation?
utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral)

TheMostExcitingMMORPGYou'veEverPlayed.
Don'tmissthis! (SpartaOnlineGame)
(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/sparta-war-of-empires/?
plid=64551&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15extremetech)

ANewMMORPGYouWon'tGetBoredWith.
ClickHereToTry! (StormfallOnlineGame)
(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/stormfall-age-of-war/?
plid=65759&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15extremetech)

Unbelievabletransformation!CuteChildStarto
UglyAdult (SportFluff)
(http://www.sportfluff.com/10-cute-child-stars-that-grew-up-ugly/?
utm_campaign=SPFUgly&utm_content=P245-T8-cutejoelcuteuglystar&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ziffdavisnetwork15-extremetech)

15CelebsWhoseAgeWillBLOWYourMIND
(CelebrityRevolt)
(http://www.celebrityrevolt.com/15-celebs-who-are-way-older-thanyou-probably-think/?
utm_campaign=TB201503&utm_content=P692-T17-salmaoldcelebs&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15extremetech&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc)

15CuteChildActorsWhoGrewUpToBeUgly
(StarFluff)
(http://www.starfluff.com/child-stars-how-have-they-grown/?
utm_campaign=SFchildstars&utm_content=P127-T29-deweychildstars2&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ziffdavisnetwork15-extremetech)

Tagged In
web (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/web) security (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/security)
surfing (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/surfing) privacy (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/privacy)
browsers (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/browsers) NSA (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/nsa)
flash (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/flash)
surveillance (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/surveillance)
javascript (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/javascript)
trackingcookies (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/tracking-cookies)
tor (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/tor) spying (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/spying)
java (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/java) ssl (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/ssl)
anonymity (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/anonymity) vpn (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/vpn)
https (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/https)
donottrack (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/do-not-track)
plug-ins (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/plug-ins)

Post a Comment
32Comments

ExtremeTech

Recommend

Share

Comment
1

SortbyOldest

Jointhediscussion
Kyle 5monthsago

NotthatIdon'tappreciatetherefresh,butwouldn'tacoupleofthesethings(suchas
Ghostery)harmsiterevenuethatyouwouldgetfrompeopleviewingthisarticle?
1

Reply Share

Login

Reply Share

Fast_Turtle>Kyle 2monthsago

ThinkaboutitIknowthat'ssomethingmostaren'tusedtobutanyonewho'stakenthe
timetoblockonlineadvertsismorelikelynotthetargetaudienceoftheadvertiser.
Thusitsavesthemmoneybecasuethereisnoadveiwfromus.
1

Reply Share

Kyle>Fast_Turtle 2monthsago

Ialwaysassumedthattheywerepaidperview,andtheadvertisement
companywaspaidperclickbytheirclients.Sothiswouldhurtthesitewelike,
helptheadvertisementcompany,anddonothingfortheactualclients.Unless
thecompanypaysthesitemoreforahigherclickratio.It'shardtosay.

Reply Share

Ednarupp>Kyle 2monthsago

thsist
psonhowtofllupYourba
nka
c countWthadditonalmo
ney
everyweek,CheckFormoreinfonmypr
ofile

Reply Share

BilalMahmood 5monthsago

TryusingTAILSitsabootablelinuxdistrowhichisverysecureandleavesnotraceonthe
hostPC
1

Reply Share

IvorO'Connor 5monthsago

Nicearticle.Verybasicthoughbutagoodstart.Hopefullymanymorearticleswillbecoming
outonthistheme?
4

Reply Share

JoshuaDear 5monthsago

Alsousealternatives:DuckDuckGo
PrivacyBadgerfromEFF
HTTPSeverywhere
NeverusegoogleChrome,usefirefox
2

Reply Share

Fast_Turtle>JoshuaDear 2monthsago

IFyouuseFF,Don'tusethelatest.Findthe10.0ELS(extendedsupport)asithas
onlyasinglesecurityflawthatwasstillunpatchedthroughFF25(notsureaboutthe
latest).Italsodoesn'tsupportHTML5featuressocombinedwithNoscriptandthe
TahoeDataManagerandIhaveverylittlereasontouseanythingelseformostofthe
web.Sureit'snotperfectbutI'mmoreconcernedaboutpreventingsysteminfections
throughdrivebydownloads,zerodayexploitsinflash/silverlightandsuchsothese
givemethelevelofcontrolIwant.
BetterprivacyisoneIhaven'tusedinawhilebutitdoesaverynicejobofcleaningup
afterthefactbutasIhavetheDefault"DenyAll"settinginNoscriptalongwithallplug
ins/html5andsuchfeatureschecked,it'suselesstomeasI'veblockedthemain

methodsofanyoneinstallingsupercookiesandotherprivacytrackers.Justranthe
PanoptictestandtheonlythingtheygotwastheUserAgentstringandaccepted
headersalongwiththefactthatIdoacceptcookies1stpartyonly.Waspretty
interestingwhatshowedupontheirtest.

Reply Share

FPVilla 5monthsago

MissedthefirststartchangeyourrouterandlaptopDNStoComodoorOpenDNS.Pretty
simple.ifanyonereallywantstoseewhatyou'redoing,theycan.Changineone'sDNS
however,makesseeingwhatyourdoingdifficulttodowithoutgoingthroughadditionalwork.
ThisevenhidesyoufromyourISP.
AhighlyanonymousProxylikeDIRTCHEAPcanalsohelpevenifyouuseVPN.Eventhe
VPNsoftwarewillnotknowwhoyouareifyoupassthroughthiskindofproxy.

Reply Share

Fast_Turtle>FPVilla 2monthsago

GoodCommentasitgotmelookingintowhymyISPwasabletoHijack404DNS
Reponseswithabuythedomainpage.Turnsoutmyrouterwasmissconfiguredto
usetheISPDNSserversandincheckingWindowsIwasconfiguredtousewhat
evertheDHCPserverwasoffered.Thanksforforcingarecheckofsettings.
ItendtousetheGoogleDNSserversforspeedandstabilityreasons.Tenttobemore
responsiveandsinceIusemultiplegoogleproducts(whodoesn't?)They'realready
trackingmeduetothecookiesIhave.Sowhybotherwhentheyalreadyhavethe
information?

Reply Share

VidyaWasi 5monthsago

Theshortversion:Ifpeoplecanmakemoneyoutofyouorexploityouinanywaythanthey
willtrytheirbesttodoit.egFacebookisnotreallyfree.
Longversion:
Whenitcomestoprivacy.Canwereallytrustthetipsfromanamericanblog/newssite?
Youshouldhavementionedtheproblemswiththesetips.
"TheOnionRouter(Tor)"
ManyifnotallsitesthatuseCloudFlarewillmolestyoureyeswithaninfinitecaptchascreen.
CloudFlarehavenointerestinfixingtheissue.
"VPN"
ItdependsonthelawsofthecountrytheVPNisin.Itcanbeforcedtohandoveryourprivate
detailsandlogsbylaw.
"DNSleaktesting"
UsepublicDNSlikegoogle'sDNSatyourownrisk.Someleak'scannotbedetected.Google
isanamericancompanythatshareswithitscorruptandstupefiedgovernmentandtreeletter
agencies.Thanaregagedtolietoitsusers."Foramericanfreedom".
seemore

Reply

Share

Reply Share

JimboJones>VidyaWasi 5monthsago

Iabsolutelyagree,andwillgoonefurtherbysayingthatregardlessofwhatactionsyou
takeyouwillstillbegettingmonitored.Thepeoplewhocreatethesesafetymeasures
andprivacytoolsareonlypermittedtodosobecausebigbrotherletsthem,BBhasa
wayaroundanythingthatisreleasedsowhyevenbother?

Reply Share

golfnerd>JimboJones 4monthsago

VPNifyoudoyourresearchyouwillfindthosethatDON'Tkeeplogsand
allowyoutosignupanonymouslylikewithagiftcard.
1

Reply Share

gareurk 5monthsago

I'vebeenlookingforsomeprivacyguides,thanks.

Reply Share

garyoak>gareurk 5monthsago

whoops,thisisn'ttherightaccount.

Reply Share

Jhonleon 5monthsago

Byusingvpnanyonlineactivitycanbehidewithothersnoonecantrackyouandnoonecan
monitoryouronlineactivities.Iamusingvpnforthesamepurposetohidemyworkingfrom
othersandthisisbestoptionforme.Ihavefoundalistofvpnproviders@vpnrankswhereall
knownprovidersofferinggooddealsandyearlypackages.

Reply Share

MontgomeryWood 5monthsago

Althoughmostofmyfavesarelistedhere,importantomissionsincludetheDuckDuckGo
searchengine(!?),theThreemamessenger,andtheLastPasspasswordmanager.
Forfurtherreading,Irecommend:http://www.prismbreak.org/
1

Reply Share

CharlesJosse 5monthsago

Onenewapplicationtotallyanonymous=)
https://www.facebook.com/youfi...

Reply Share

MistMaster 5monthsago

IamcurrentlyusingironsocketItworksgreatPPTPandL2TPandDNSproxyandOpenVPN
supportandnologs:DPrettyamazingIrecommendit,it'snotfreebutitsreallyworthit.

Reply Share

ipnesterov 5monthsago

NEWBROWSER
SecurePrivacyBrowserVPN&TORincluded!

SecurePrivacyBrowserVPN&TORincluded!
https://privacybrowser.org/Globus

Reply Share

Dent 4monthsago

Thisalsoworksfine:http://www.effecthacking.com/2...

Reply Share

Annu 3monthsago

TorandVPNSarenotenoughtostayanonymouscompletely.
SomeoneLikeNSAcaneasilyfindthatyouareTOruserandititcanthenfocusonyouand
withenoughworktheycanknowwhoyouare.Butthereisanewwayalternativetothese
ProxyHam.ToknowmoreaboutitgotoProxyHam

Reply Share

codeJunkie>Annu 2monthsago

Youwillneverbeabletostayanonymousontheinternet,andthatisagoodthing
becausecrimehappens.Whatweneedisacoponthebeatandsolidsecurityforour
informationsuperhighway.Ourrighttoprivacymustberespected.Recordingaphone
conversationwithoutconsentisacrime,recordingwhatwedoontheinternetshould
benodifferent.

Reply Share

Anelly 2monthsago

VPNsareusedtoaddsecurityandprivacytoprivateandpublicnetworks,likeWiFiHotspots
andtheInternet.
MostcompaniesmaintainVPNssothatemployeescanaccessfiles,applications,printers,
andotherresourcesontheofficenetworkwithoutcompromisingsecurity,butyoucanalsoset
upyourownVPNtosafelyaccessyoursecurehomenetworkwhileyou'reontheroad.
VPNsarenotenoughtoassureyouronlineprivacybutit'soneofthemostimportantstepsto
make.
HereisaquizwhereyoucantestyourknowledgeaboutthelevelofprivacyaVPNcanoffer:
http://www.theprivacyobserver....

Reply Share

vasras 2monthsago

Ghosteryisrunbyanadagency.Notreliable.Youpay,yougetoffthelist.NoautoONforall
updates.
UBlockOriginisasuperioralternative,communityupdatedlists,relativelylowcpu/mem
footprint(compatedtoABP)andhasTONSoflistsfortracking,malwaresites,ads,social
tracking,etc.

Reply Share

Fast_Turtle 2monthsago

IrecomendyoudroptheGhosterysuggestionasit'sactuallyastealthtracker.Keepinmind
thatitwascreatedandismaintainedbyanAdvertisementCompany/Consortium.Falsesense

thatitwascreatedandismaintainedbyanAdvertisementCompany/Consortium.Falsesense
ofSecuritygrantedbyitasitcheckseverywebsiteyouvisitagainsttheGhosterySiteto
identifythetrackers.
TheDoNotTrackextensionisuselessandhasbeensinceMSreleasedIE11asthey
enableditbydefault.MultiplereportsabouttheIndustryResponsewas"SoWhat?We'll
continuetrackingyouifwewant."
OneaddonforMozillabasedbrowsersthatIrecomendheavilyiscalledTahoeData
Manager.Itshowsyoueverythingthatawebsitesetsinyourbrowserfromcookiestoeven
zoomlevelsalongwithpasswords.Veryniceaddon.
AdblockPlusisuselessasthey'vesoldoutbynowofferingavettedwhitelistofwebsites.
Sorrybutanyofthosevettedsitescanandwillbeusedtoshovemalware/driveby's/trojans
andzerodayexploitsontoyourcomputer.
MyrecomendationforMozilla/GeckobasedbrowsersNoScriptinDenyAllMode.Idon'tuse
anadblockersincemostoftheadsareservedbyscriptsfromtheadvertiser'swebsiteandI'll
seemore

Reply Share

DavidOnter 2monthsago

Aren'ttheownersbehindGhosteryalittleshady?Iwouldn'trecommendusingit.Also,another
importantpointwouldbetoinstallanAdBlocker.AdBlockersaren'tgoodforsiterevenue,yes,
butifyou'reconcernedaboutprivacyandsafetyyoushoulddefinitelyinstallonetoblockbig
partsofonlinetrackingandtoavoidpotentialmalwarethreats.IrecommenduBlockOrigin
(https://github.com/gorhill/uBl...).It'sopensource,efficient(intermsofhowitblocks),has
frequentupdatesandalsohasasettingtostopWebRTCleaking:)

Reply Share

qubit86 2monthsago

IagreewithalltheseprivacytoolsyetIthinkit'ssimplertobecomeanamateurporn
actor/ress.Peoplewillbeabletoseeourdarkestorificesecretsbutthenthey'llreachaclimax
andmaybemoveontootherporn.Unlessthey'reagainstporn,whichthenIwouldneedmore
privacyfortoavoidtheirpitchforks.
Butseriously,Idousehttpseverywhere,adblock,incognito.It'sprettyhardtouseany
Googleservicewithoutcookiesthough.

Reply Share

aristarkhos 2monthsago

ExTechuses31trackers.:/

Reply Share

Chief 2monthsago

UseTAILSforsecurebanking,etcLinux+FFdonttouchChromeNSAspoof

Reply Share

VintilVladCristian 2monthsago

Usewww.bestproxysolution.comtosurfwebsitesanonymouslyincompleteprivacy.Hide

Usewww.bestproxysolution.comtosurfwebsitesanonymouslyincompleteprivacy.Hide
yourIPandrouteyourinternettrafficthroughouranonymousproxyservers.Wedon'tkeep
anylogs,becausewedon'tcareforthem.BestProxySolutionWebProxybelievesinthe
freedomontheinternetandwilltrytoofferittoyoubyanymeansnecessary.Befreetosurf
andunblocktheworldwidewebwithowerWebProxy

Reply Share

Thiscommentisawaitingmoderation.Showcomment.

MisterBlat>Wagary 5monthsago

Yourneighbor'sWoz?Wellnowonderhe'sreceivingmoneyparttimefromhis
computer.

Subscribe

Reply Share

AddDisqustoyoursite

Privacy

Fast & Cheap VPN


Up to 10 Gbps Speeds. 6000 IPs. 8
Worldwide Locations. 24/7 Support.
$2.99

(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/sparta-war-of-empires/?plid=64551&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)

Sparta : The Strategy Game Phenomenon of 2015


Sparta Online Game

(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/sparta-war-of-empires/?plid=64551&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)
(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/stormfall-age-of-war/?plid=65759&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)

A New MMORPG You Won't Get Bored With. Click Here To Try!
Stormfall - Online Game

(http://plarium.com/en/strategy-games/stormfall-age-of-war/?plid=65759&pxl=taboola_fr&&publisherID=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)
(http://www.sportfluff.com/10-cute-child-stars-that-grew-up-ugly/?utm_campaign=SPFUgly&utm_content=P245-T8-cutejoelcuteuglystar&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)

Unbelievable transformation! Cute Child Star to Ugly Adult


SportFluff

(http://www.sportfluff.com/10-cute-child-stars-that-grew-up-ugly/?utm_campaign=SPFUgly&utm_content=P245-T8-cutejoelcuteuglystar&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech)
(http://www.celebrityrevolt.com/15-celebs-who-are-way-older-than-you-probably-think/?utm_campaign=TB201503&utm_content=P692-T17salma-oldcelebs&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc)

15 Celebs Whose Age Will BLOW Your MIND


Celebrity Revolt

(http://www.celebrityrevolt.com/15-celebs-who-are-way-older-than-you-probably-think/?utm_campaign=TB201503&utm_content=P692-T17salma-oldcelebs&utm_term=ziffdavis-network15-extremetech&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc)

ate=colorbox&taboola_utm_source=ziffdavisnetwork15extremetech&taboola_utm_medium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=thumbnailsrr:RightRailThumbnailsArticlegtd:)

ate=colorbox&taboola_utm_source=ziffdavisnetwork15extremetech&taboola_utm_medium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=thumbnailsrr:RightRailThumbnailsArticlegtd:)

ate=colorbox&taboola_utm_source=ziffdavisnetwork15extremetech&taboola_utm_medium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=thumbnailsrr:RightRailThumbnailsArticlegtd:)

ExtremeTech Newsletter
Subscribe Today to get the latest ExtremeTech news delivered right to your inbox.
Email Address...

Sign Up

Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use


(http://www.ziffdavis.com/terms-of-use) and Privacy Policy
(http://www.ziffdavis.com/privacy-policy).

More Articles
(http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/216235-scientists-are-still-figuring-outhow-their-own-memristors-work) Scientists are still figuring out how their own memristors
work (http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/216235-scientists-are-still-figuring-out-how-theirown-memristors-work) Oct15

(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/216361-vint-cerf-hundreds-ofresearchers-call-on-fcc-to-mandate-open-source-router-firmware) Vint Cerf,


hundreds of researchers, call on FCC to mandate open-source router firmware
(http://www.extremetech.com/computing/216361-vint-cerf-hundreds-of-researchers-call-onfcc-to-mandate-open-source-router-firmware) Oct15

(http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/216285-nvidia-announces-new-streamingoptions-twitch-integration-future-game-ready-drivers-will-require-registration)
Nvidia: future game-ready drivers will require registration
(http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/216285-nvidia-announces-new-streaming-options-

twitch-integration-future-game-ready-drivers-will-require-registration) Oct15

(http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/216079-teslas-upgraded-autopilot-shipswith-this-weeks-version-7-software-upgrade) Teslas upgraded Autopilot shipping with


version 7 software upgrade (http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/216079-teslas-upgradedautopilot-ships-with-this-weeks-version-7-software-upgrade) Oct15

(http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/216290-researchers-figure-out-how-tosilently-hack-siri-and-google-voice-search) Researchers figure out how to silently hack


Siri and Google voice search (http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/216290-researchersfigure-out-how-to-silently-hack-siri-and-google-voice-search) Oct15

About ExtremeTech (http://www.extremetech.com/about)


Advertising (http://www.extremetech.com/about#advertising)
Contact ExtremeTech (http://www.extremetech.com/contact)
ET Forums (http://discuss.extremetech.com)
Terms of Use (http://www.ziffdavis.com/about/terms)
Privacy Policy (http://www.ziffdavis.com/about/privacy)
Ziff Davis (http://www.ziffdavis.com)

AdChoices
(//privacy.truste.com/privacy-seal/validation?rid=f216ea74-e272-46f4-b2a10db430ecb6b4)

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Use (http://www.ziffdavis.com/about/terms)and Privacy Policy
(http://www.ziffdavis.com/about/privacy). Copyright 1996-2015 Ziff Davis, LLC.PCMag Digital Group All Rights Reserved.
ExtremeTech is a registered trademark of Ziff Davis, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium
without express written permission of Ziff Davis, LLC. is prohibited.

(https://www.facebook.com/extremetechdotcom)
(https://twitter.com/ExtremeTech)

You might also like