How to stay anonymous online

Privacy and anonymity are important human rights – so you probably want to protect both when using the internet. This is particularly true when you realize that if a cybercriminal can identify you, they can probably also target you.

Fortunately there are some ways that you can better protect yourself online.

A word of warning

This guide is designed to help you remain anonymous online. However, the reality is that most government and law enforcement agencies can – and do – use tools to circumvent privacy protections while investigating crimes. You cannot ever achieve true 100% anonymity.

Instead, these guidelines will help you stay anonymous from cybercriminals and invasive online marketers. So, let’s look at what you can do.

Reboot your router regularly

Every computer attached to the internet has a unique ‘IP address’ that ensures information is sent and received to the right place. With the right tools, this IP address can be used to track and potentially identify you.

By restarting your home broadband router you can obtain a new IP address. Regular reboots will help to reduce the risk of being identified.

Use a VPN

Alternatively, consider using a VPN service like Panda VPN Premium. A VPN ensures all of your internet traffic is encrypted so it cannot be intercepted or used by hackers. And because all of your traffic is routed over the VPN, your IP address is hidden – trackers and criminals can only see the IP address of the VPN server, not your computer. And if they can’t find your computer, they can’t find you either.

Note: Not all VPN services are the same – some free services may sell personally identifiable information to marketers so that they can better target you with ads. Make sure that your chosen VPN service does not share your data with third parties.

Use an adblocker

Digital marketers use tracking code embedded into webpages to track your computer as you browse the internet. Tools like Adblock Plus, Ghostery or uBlock Origin use web browser plugins to identify and block tracking code from loading. As an added bonus, ad blockers also hide many of the banner ads, pop-ups and other annoyances you encounter online.

Hide your email address

With some effort, criminals may be able to track your identity through your email address. To reduce this risk, you should avoid using your ‘real’ email address when signing up for newsletters, competitions or any other service you don’t plan to use long-term.

Instead, consider using a ‘disposable’ email address service like Protonmail which provides a temporary email account that is completely anonymous. Alternatively, Apple computer users could choose the ‘Hide My Email’ service which generates a completely random email address – all incoming emails are directed to your mailbox, but the sender never knows who you are. With both these options you can simply delete the temporary email address when you are finished with them.

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to stay completely anonymous online. However, with the right tools you can do a lot to reduce tracking and protect your privacy. Why not trial Panda Dome Premium today to see what you can achieve?