Is There Anonymity Online? Tell Me Whose Watching Me!
I always feel like somebody’s watching me! Rockwell had this creepy feeling someone was watching him back in 1984. Little did he know he was on to something. Every time you logon major websites are logged in too, paying close attention to your searches and chipping away at your anonymity online. It’s not just the web, the National Security Agency or NSA also has you in its radar. So much for privacy I guess? Be careful what you download. That online podcast for learning Arabic might raise some red flags. However, there are some methods you can use to block your communications with major websites to make your browsing more secure. Let’s take a closer look at how you can secure your online browsing for better anonymity online.
Firefox and Chrome understands your frustration with the lack of privacy, so they created an extension that encrypts your communications. HTTPS Everywhere uses cunning technology to reword requests to unencrypted sites. Invented as collaboration between The Onion Router (TOR) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), HTTPS Everywhere can prevent anyone from learning your location and browsing history. It also helps you strengthen your defense against network surveillance and protects your private business actions or relationships online. If you’re a 45 year old male who enjoys playing quidditch on your laptop, you should do so without anyone in a stark office watching you like a hawk. Gryffindor wins!
Anonymity online is a very gray area of the law in which law makers do not know how to maneuver because most laws were written before the digital age. It’s becoming more relevant that precautionary measures must be in place regarding anonymity online since more criminal cases are coming to courts. It’s difficult to make a judgment on such cases when there is no clarity for what is legal or illegal. The best way to stay out of trouble is to maintain privacy at all times when using the Internet. To learn more about safe computing, visit trueITpros for computer networking and security services.