Surf anonymously – in 3 steps!
Surf the internet anonymously and securely in 3 steps
1. Disguise your identity completely
Every user leaves traces when surfing the internet. The clearest trace is the IP address. This enables hackers and intelligence agencies to pinpoint and access your computer. Possible consequences: data theft and espionage! In the worst case, these can even gain access to sensitive bank information and inflict great financial losses. It is highly recommended that you use a VPN to surf the internet. This disguises your IP address and thus makes it inaccessible to third parties.
Insider tip: Only use trustworthy VPN service providers! You can find an overview of reputable providers here.
Evaluating the effectiveness
- Protection against hackers: very high
- Protection against intelligence services: very high
- Protection against advertisers: average to very high
2. Delete existing cookies
Advertisers use so-called “cookies” to track your activities on the internet. These are small text files that are saved on your computer. The files contain information such as the websites you visit, the products you viewed, or the websites you have logged on to.
How to delete cookies from your browser:
- Chrome: “Menu (three dots) – More tools – Clear browsing data”
- Internet Explorer & Edge: “Menu (three dots) – Settings – Clear browsing data – Cookies and saved websites – Delete”
- Firefox: “Menu (three lines) – Settings – Privacy – History – Remove cookie – Remove all cookies.
- Opera: “Menu (top left) – Settings – Privacy & Security – Clear browsing data”
Evaluating the effectiveness
- Protection against hackers:none (identity can be determined via IP address)
- Protection against intelligence agencies:none (identity can be determined via IP address)
- Protection against advertisers:low (only once)
3. Incognito browser to avoid new cookies
After you have deleted all cookies, you must prevent new cookies from being downloaded to your device. You can do this by simply using the “incognito mode“, which is integrated in all major browsers. This mode blocks your browser from downloading any cookies.
Follow the following procedure to open a new incognito window on your browser:
- Chrome: Ctrl (CMD) + Shift + N
- Internet Explorer & Edge: Ctrl + Shift + P
- Firefox: Ctrl (CMD) + Shift + P
- Opera: Ctrl (CMD) + Shift + N
Evaluating the effectiveness
- Protection against hackers: none (identity can be determined via IP address)
- Protection against intelligence agencies: none (identity can be determined via IP address)
- Protection against advertisers: average
All 3 steps – am I safe now?
Once you have deleted existing cookies, use the incognito mode and a reliable VPN (overview of the best VPNs) to surf the internet anonymously and with maximum security as per the current state of the art. Blocking cookies makes you more anonymous to advertisers. Using a VPN makes you completely anonymous by concealing your IP address, which makes it impossible to track your identity and activity. Thus, VPNs are very effective in protecting you against intelligence agencies and hackers. As the recent scandal relating to warnings sent to viewers of erotic website showed, using a VPN is highly recommended especially when viewing pages with explicit content. Here is an overview of more VPN advantages that we have compiled for you.
Who is the best VPN provider?
The VPN market is growing fast and so is the number of options. This makes it difficult to find the right VPN provider. Established all-round providers, such as Private Internet Access, are recommended for both beginners and advanced users. The software can be used on up to 10 devices simultaneously, whether it’s a PC/Mac, a tablet, a smartphone, or a game console. Our test winner also runs on Linux computers and is compatible with almost all streaming providers. The data transfer is encrypted to the highest security standards.