Web Anonymous Proxy vs. Anonymous Surfing Software

The Internet can be compared to the old Wild West in some cases. You have criminals out in the digital world lying in wait for you.  Not Dirty Dans and Phillip McGees with guns ablazing, but worse.  Every time you open your browser you run a gauntlet of invisible cyber criminals longing to rob you of your identity, as well as treacherous ISPs and lurking marketing companies tracking, collecting and logging your IP address, following you like digital bloodhounds as you surf.  Many savvy surfers know one of the best ways to protect their Internet privacy and personal information is to use a proxy server.  Now, proxy servers can be located on the Internet with a simple search, but the question of the day is: Which is better? Web-based proxies or Anonymous surfing software?

Web-Based Proxy Servers
These web-based anonymizers are easy to use and only require you to have an Internet connection and enter a URL.  Give it a click and your IP address is replaced with theirs.  This can get you into a blocked website, like Myspace, but that is the main purpose of the online anonymous browser.  It’s not safe to send personal information over these servers because there is no guarantee that the information is encrypted, and if not, it can be accessed by some less than scrupulous person.  Also you cannot use web-based proxies to access banking sites or any other online location that uses either Secure Shell or Secure Socket Layer.

Software-based Anonymous Proxy
What’s nice about a software-based software is after installation it will run with your browser and you won’t have to go back to a start page to enter a new URL.  One click and you’re surfing away.  A downside is you will have to pay for the proxy service that comes with the software, but it isn’t a large amount of money, normally a few dollars a month.  When it comes to security online, you’re going to get what you pay for.  The software not only allows you to surf anonymously, but encrypts your information.  So the transmission between your computer and the Internet are secure in addition to your IP being masked.  You can’t get that kind of protection from a web-based proxy.

There are pros and cons to both methods of protecting your Internet privacy and IP address.  Which method you use primarily depends on what you do on the Internet.  If you just want to get on a blocked website that doesn’t need personal info, a web-proxy is fine.  But for ANYTHING else, no matter how long you are online, a software-based proxy is the better choice.  The advanced protection alone makes purchasing it a wise investment.

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