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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.

VPNs hide your IP address using their servers.

VPN’s hide your IP address with using their servers.

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.

VPNs are the most effective way to protect yourself from hackers and cyber criminals.

 

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.

Last updated: March 2024

Provider
Specials
Rating
Information
Best rated 2024

Ultra-fast and secure all-round VPN. Excellent Full-HD/4K streaming and 24/7 live chat support.

  • Try it with a 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Outstanding reliability with 35000 + servers in 75 countries
  • Up to 10 devices simultaneously
  • Unlimited P2P/Torrenting
  • Fast HD/4K streaming (Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO, Kodi, …)
  • Simple installation and easy to use
Available on:
9.8
  • From $2.25/month
  • Unblocks over 35 streaming services, among them Amazon and others
  • Over 7000 servers worldwide
  • Up to 7 devices simultaneously
  • High secure VPN with OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP and 256-bit encryption protocols
  • Up to 45-day money-back guarantee
Available on:
9.4
  • 5400+ Servers in 59 countries
  • Military great security level
  • High-speed, unlimited bandwidth
  • Up to 6 devices simultaneously
  • 30 days money-back guarantee
Available on:
9.1
  • Fast and simple commissioning
  • Runs on an unlimited number of devices and multiple platforms
  • High speed
  • Over 500 servers in 50 countries
  • Regular updates
  • Support only available via email and chat
  • Problematic P2P connection and speed
Available on:
8.6
  • Installation is easy and straightforward.
  • Military-grade encryption
  • Uninterrupted streaming solutions. Enjoy smooth online streaming services
  • Strict no-logs policy, keeping no log of private user information
  • Complete privacy and anonymity
  • Free version
  • Its network of servers is limited
  • Premium plan offers the best speed and overall experience
  • Customer support is only via email
Available on:
8.2
  • 1700 servers all over the world
  • Up to 3 devices at the same time
  • Highest anonymity
  • 30 days free trial
  • P2P/Filesharing/Torrenting is possible
  • Very expensive
  • Partial blocking of websites & email providers
Available on:
8.0
  • High-end security, with 2048-bit military-grade encryption, Killswitch feature, and IPv6 Leak Protection
  • Access to the most regions on the market
  • No-log policy ensuring 100% privacy and user data protection
  • Stealth VPN for users in VPN-prohibited countries like China
  • Best VPN in our test
  • Seven-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Inconsistent live customer support
  • A limited number of network servers
  • Inconsistent server speed in some locations
Available on:
7.9
  • Servers in 190 countries all over the world
  • Up to 5 devices at the same time
  • Easy-to-use software and App
  • 30 days free trial
  • 24/7 Support via Live-Chat or E-Mail
  • Technical problems in WLAN
  • Strongly reduced speed of foreign servers
Available on:
7.5
  • For all platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android etc.
  • Over 3600 servers in 74+ different countries.
  • 1 subscription gives access on an unlimited number of devices; 30 days money-back guarantee
  • 24/7 live chat support
  • ZenMate never keeps records of users’ online activity (operating under a strict Zero Logs policy)
  • 30 days free trial
  • Very slow surfing speed
  • Browser extension crashes
Available on:
6.8
  • Around 400 servers in 50 countries worldwide
  • Reliable encryption protects your data
  • Kill-switch, auto-connect and zero-log policy enable private browsing
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Search function to find the ideal server for your intentions
  • 30 days money-back guarantee
  • Sign-up issues
  • Sub-par Windows client
  • No live chat support
Available on:
6.5