Tips To Browse The Web Anonymously

When you surf online, you might be surprised to know that it's not very private at all. Though we're often in the comfort and privacy of our own homes, the fact is that there are many ways to spy on what others are doing online.  In fact, sometimes this type of spy software is free, and there's even add ons for Firefox that can help you hijack other people's internet sessions.  Privacy online is a concern for some users, and browsing the web anonymously is the solution to the problem.There are a couple ways to browse anonymously, but here are my favorites.ProxiesProxies are like a middle man.  It's a computer server that is between you can the internet. It's just one more step, like a checkpoint.  When you connect to the proxy, the proxy then analyzes what you want to see on the internet, makes its own request, then delivers it to you.  Though it sounds complicated and like it may make your internet connection slower, very often, you won't notice a difference.  If you use good proxy servers, like from a premium service that charges a monthly fee, then you shouldn't have any problems. If you use a free proxy, or open proxy, you may see some lag time because there are too many other users signed into the same proxy server, or the owner hasn't configured the settings properly.Virtual Private NetworksI actually prefer to use VPNs because they provide better anonymity and are more reliable in a number of ways.  I say they're more reliable because not only will they drop fewer connections than proxies in my experience, but they are usually from upstanding businesses, and won't screw around with your private information.  If you use free proxies, this is one of your main risks, so switching to VPN services would be a solution.In addition to do a kind of information fetching service like with the proxy, the VPN actually codes your data with something called encryption, so that only you and the VPN server understands what's being requested, ie the contents of your browsing session.  This is of course for privacy, but it helps in the security area as well because it can keep hackers from finding and hacking into your system.  Did you know that there are millions of 'zombie computers' in The USA alone? That means that at some point the computer's security systems have been compromised, and its now used by hackers and spammers perhaps as a disguise for their illegal activities.In addition to privacy and security features, when you browse the web anonymously with a VPN, you can also hide the IP of other software you're running on your computer. This is useful for VoIP, games, and chat programs that are not run through your browser.