Anonymity and Privacy on the Web

 

Anonymity and Privacy on the Web

 Most “normal” computer users these days default to whatever “free” web browsers and search engines they are guided to by Microsoft or Google when they first set up their computers and networks. (or have their 12 year old grandkids set their computers up for them.).  This “normally results in the use of the Google or Edge web browser, and Google as a search engine.

 These “normal” users are now targets for big tech ads and tracking.  Every time a mouse is clicked using these “free” default programs, there is a “ka-ching” somewhere in the background, and with prolonged use, the big tech companies generate more information about these users than their parents ever knew, or that they knew about themselves.  All of this with the goal of selling them something.

 There are ways and alternatives of avoiding all of this intrusion of privacy.  Two quick and simple alternate means are to replace the Google web browser with the Brave browser, and to replace the Google search engine with Duck-Duck-Go, (I know, - strange name), both of which do not track users. These are easily downloaded and installed by regular users.  References are given below.

 If someone wants to go further and attain complete anonymity on the web, there are methods like Linux based TAILS, which accesses a computer from a flash drive and uses hacker techniques like the TOR browser to anonymously access the whole web, including the deep and dark web, and then leave the computer without a trace.  Again, references are given below for study and access to this methodology. CAUTION: THE DARK WEB CONTAINS SOME INFORATION OF DUBIOUS LEGALITY. 

 

 Two easily installed replacements which quickly and easily increase privacy on the web

 Brave Web Browser   https://brave.com/      (Instead of Google)

 Duck Duck Go Search Engine            https://duckduckgo.com/        (Instead of Google)

 

 All you ever wanted to know about really staying anonymous on the web, and accessing the whole web.

 TAILS – Great, easy to use system for staying anonymous on the web’

 Tails is an acronym for ” The Amnesic Incognito Live System”, you can run this OS from a DVD, USB memory stick or SD card.

 https://tails.boum.org/about/index.en.html

 https://www.techno360.in/tails-os/

 https://www.blackdown.org/linux-tails-review/

 https://cybersecurity.att.com/blogs/security-essentials/achieving-online-anonymity-using-tails-os

 https://www.level-up.cc/curriculum/safer-workspaces/tails/input/staying-anonymous-using-tails/

 

 TAILS includes the TOR browser, TOR search engine, TOR encryption and TOR Onion services. TOR in an acronym for The Onion Router

 https://torsearch.com/

 https://tor-browser.su/en/

 https://support.torproject.org/onionservices/

  

The Deep and Dark Web

 Please note: the Dark Web contains masses of information, and some information that you really do not want to know.  Nasty, illegal stuff that criminals use.  It’s there, and best left alone. 

 https://pixelprivacy.com/vpn/how-to-access-the-dark-web/

 You can’t access the Dark Web with a normal browser. Those who access the Dark Web do so via the TOR (The Onion Router) browser.  So, TAILS works just fine in accessing the Dark Web.

 Ray Gruszecki

September 8, 2022