With all the advantages the Internet has brought comes a new kind of crime. Internet crime is at an all time high. Thieves have learned that this is an easier way of robbing their victims than ever before. All they have to do is gain access to a person’s connection to the Internet and it is possible to take their identity or their money. This is being committed even as you are reading this article. Accessing someone’s bank account, credit cards and other personal information through the World Wide Web is the way a thief can get by with his crime with the least likelihood of getting caught. Gone are the days when going on the Internet was not threatened by the possibility of malware and spy ware. When a thief gains access to your Internet connection, all the information you are sending on that connection is out in the open for the taking. Bank account numbers, credit card numbers – all manner of personal information – is no longer safe. How do you take steps to keep this from happening? One of the best ways is to have an anonymous proxy server. This is one solution to keep thieves from gaining knowledge about your connection to the Internet and in turn keeping your information safe.

What is an anonymous proxy, you may be asking? First of all, there are two types of anonymous proxies. The one that most people use is the web-based. This is because it is simple to find. All that is required is a search on the Google site for “anonymous proxy” and a vast amount of results will be shown. Choose one of the results and go to the site. An empty URL box will be shown and you need only type the web address of the place you want to visit. The anonymous proxy will then take you to this address without showing your IP address. When you leave the website there will not be a record of your having been there. The anonymous proxy acts as a combination protection and retrieval tool. It gets the website for you and keeps anyone from accessing your IP address. Your IP address can tell a thief where you are located. How many people do you want to know your name?

Lately I’ve come across a number of websites that are promoting anonymous proxies.  These sites are filled with nonsensical articles and are designed to drive traffic to one or two anonymous proxy websites.  I guess I have to ask the question, if they are creating garbage websites just for the purpose of spamming the search engines, how good can their products be.

The proxy marketplace is filled with lots of companies.  We have a number of quality competitors that I know and respect.

Unfortunately, the anonymous proxy world overall is a scary place.  Many of these proxy companies are out to take your money one way or another.  Remember that when you are connected to an anonymous proxy server, everything you do goes through that server.  Do you really feel comfortable putting your personal information through a server owned by a company that may not be legitimate?

Before you buy anything online, make sure that you know who you are doing business with.  That is especially true with proxy companies and even software companies.  If you install something on your PC, then you are granting that program access to all your information.  Again, maybe this is not a big deal, but I like to know the source of anything I install on my PC.

One way to learn more about a company is to read their privacy policy or terms of service.  Then you can look up the company to learn more about them.  If you can’t find company information, run, don’t walk away.

On a related note, we get a lot of phone calls from people before they sign up for our service.  I think this is mostly to reassure them that we are indeed a real company with real people who stand behind our products.  Think that’s silly?  Try calling some of the other proxy companies out there.

Stay safe by knowing who you are doing business with.

Creative criminals: with its nice alliterative ring, it sounds like a harmonious title of a reality show. Or perhaps some blooper reel where the “creative” is in a less reverent sense. This is nothing to do with television though, but rather another medium: technology. The human race had its humble roots with a barbaric caveman who first struck fire and was maddened and frightened by its implications, although he probably did not know what “implications” were. Soon enough though, or really through millions of years of natural selection, we found ourselves in the year 1950. At this point technology is just making its strong debut, with the radio and the television dominating the airwaves and creating sparks in the minds of the greats who will bring us even more advanced technology later.

Anonymous Proxy to avoid identity theft

Although we did not know it the abstract concept of a grassroots link between users would be manifested to the tangible, yet paradoxically intangible, Internet. This system allowed people to set up their own sites via the WWW service, and brought about many great things. Unfortunately, it is through the Internet that we find ourselves the victims of some of the most creative criminals.

The creation of MySpace, FaceBook, and other social networking sites where people can communicate to one another through personalized profiles and comment, blog, and rate each others own pictures brought about a social revolution. People became addicted to these sites, and soon enough criminals began to notice and try and exploit the general public’s naivete regarding Internet safety. Through the wonderful power of deceit the Internet provides, these ingenious crooks posed as friends of some people, and lured them into the real world to steal, abduct, etc. The more sophisticated criminals even earned themselves a special title of reverence: a hacker. These hackers manipulated computer infrastructure and security systems to go right into people’s documents or bank accounts and take whatever they want.

For many people, their Internet service is something that happens as though by magic, but if you are curious about learning more about how your computer gets online and communicates with other machines, you are going to find that you need to think about your IP address. The term IP address is one that comes up with regular frequency when you are thinking about computers and networking and even if you know where to find it, you might not be able to explain what it means or what it does. When you are thinking about learning more about networking and when you want some simple answers as to what an IP address is and what it does, there are some things that you need to keep in mind.

In the first place, remember that the term itself is short for “Internet Protocol.” This is a label that has been applied to allow you to connect to a wider network, and if you are on the Internet, you are using an IP address to get there. Remember, though, that you are looking at something that has several functions. For instance, websites have IP addresses too; from your computer’s point of view, they are both a pathway as well as a location. When you are thinking about the way your computer interacts on the network, remember that it should act as your passport. If you are not getting an IP address, you are not going to be getting online at all. Your IP address is something that is granted to you by your Internet service provider, or your ISP. In many cases, you will be able to simply plug your computer into the wall or into your cable modem, depending on what your service consists of, and you will be able to get online right away. In many cases, you will first need to deal with authenticating yourself to your ISP, and you need to verify that you have service with them, but it usually takes very little time at all. With a greater interest in convenience and speed, there are companies which are deliberately working for plug and play Internet, where you can plug your computer in and simply start surfing as you please. This can make a huge difference to the way that you connect.

With all the advantages the Internet has brought comes a new kind of crime. Identity theft is at an all time high. Thieves have learned that this is an easier way of robbing their victims than ever before. All they have to do is gain access to a person’s connection to the Internet and it is possible to take their identity and their money. This is being committed even as you are reading this article. Accessing someone’s bank account, credit cards and other personal information through the world wide web is the way a thief can get by with his crime with the least likelihood of getting caught. Gone are the days when going on the Internet was not threatened by the possibility of malware and spy ware. When a thief gains access to your Internet connection, all the information you have used on that connection is out in the open for the taking. Bank account numbers, credit card numbers – all manner of personal information – is no longer safe. How do you take steps to keep this from happening? One of the best ways is to have an anonymous proxy server. This is one solution to keep thieves from gaining knowledge about your connection to the Internet and in turn keeping your information safe.What is an anonymous proxy, you may be asking?

First of all, there are two types of anonymous proxies. The one that most people use is the web-based. This is because it is simple to find. All that is required is a search on the Google site for “anonymous proxy” and a vast amount of results will be shown. Choose one of the results and go to the site. An empty URL box will be shown and you need only type the web address of the place you want to visit. The anonymous proxy will then take you to this address without showing your IP address. When you leave the website there will not be cookies from the site on your computer nor a record of your having been there. The anonymous proxy acts as a combination protection and retrieval tool. It gets the website for you and keeps anyone from accessing your IP address. Your IP address can tell a thief exactly where you are located. How many people do you want to know your name?

The men and women of the United States Armed Forces are overseas right now fighting for your freedom. They made this choice on their own yes, but it is a choice they made because they love the idea of freedom, and because they want to better themselves and their country. Remember it is not a choice that is made lightly by any means. It is something that they considered, and probably for several months. In the end they decided that fighting for freedom and making a stand was worth more than anything-even their own lives. That being the case they signed the papers, they boarded a plane, and now they sit thousands of miles away from home. Fortunately there have been some innovations that have provided soldiers with more entertainment than they would have had access to in the past. These innovations are centered around the internet.

Use an anonymous proxy to stay safe overseas.

So what would a soldier want to access on the web. Believe it or not, one of the things they do is watch TV online. They can catch their favorite programs or watch hockey. Most of the TV networks put their some of their latest episodes online. For others, they can access media sites that aggregate content. Another source for media is the online newspapers like the New York Times. Or maybe they want to read their home town newspaper online. Today most, if not all papers, have an online version. So between TV, sports, and newspapers, they can catch up on the latest US media and news.

Instead of TV, they might be on social networking sites like FaceBook or MySpace. For those who have not served in the military, you can’t imagine how much of a gift these sites are to lonely young men and women far from home. With a click of the mouse, they can see friends and loved ones. They can catch up on the latest happenings in their families or circle of friends. They can see videos, pictures and general updates. And maybe, just maybe, some of the loneliness might go away. Sure, they are still at the front. Sure they are still in harm’s way. But they have a connection back to their normal every day lives. Unfortunately, they can’t always connect back to these US sites. You’d think the web is available everywhere.

The Internet was originally created with one goal in mind; exchange information. This purpose has completely been manifested today, as we have so many avenues with which to share information. One person might get a funny email, and wishing to show it to all of his friends rather than poorly act it out and ruin the humor, can simply forward the document to everyone in his or her address book online. Many media sites like Youtube are completely based around this sharing principle. The videos you put on there can be seen by anyone, and whether your dance was really good or just completely awful, all one has to do is hit a button and the video is being sent to everyone on their email list. While these are all legal and easy ways to share content while online, many people have invented more insidious means to violate user contracts and copyrighting laws. If you search a popular music video on YouTube, you will probably find some random user who has uploaded it, which is in direct violation of YouTube’s user contract, and will probably be taken down quickly. People also can put songs up on the Internet for others to listen to and download; which is also illegal. There is a new kind of sharing though, called P2P (or Peer-to-Peer) that has law makers scratching their heads.

While uploading a copyrighted video is obviously a direct violation of the artist’s rights, is sharing one with a friend? If you buy a CD and your friend wants to hear it as well, should they have to pay to listen to your copy? The answer to this is for most people a resounding no. Then why are these P2P networks being so scrutinized? The problem is, they create digital copies of the songs, which can them be dispersed online for free, and completely ripping off the artist. This is the problem, but shutting down these good natured P2P networks is not in the cards right now.

What needs to be discussed though is the danger these networks provide, and not just for the artist’s bank accounts. Since anyone can upload anything to these networks, there can be some shady activity going on. While YouTube is the principles, this conduit of media has active virus scans and would not allow that to happen anyway, a feature that maybe one percent of all P2P networks enjoy. This means that somebody could have titled something to read as what it really isn’t and could have laced a tracking or crashing virus onto the file to hook onto your computer.

P2P networks can be a godsend if used correctly, but beware of their risks. You can enjoy using them if you just adequately protect yourself when surfing one. An anonymous proxy can stop trackers from latching onto your connection by changing your IP address, which is the system most use to follow someone online. With your new IP address, no one will be able to stalk you online.

Do you ever get that feeling that someone is following you, someone is watching you? Don’t quickly jump to the conclusion that you are crazy; many others feel the same way. The fact is that you are often being watched, and not just by other people. In Britain, and as being tested in some undisclosed parts of the United States, people are being held under surveillance by discreet video cameras mounted on houses. These video cameras can watch passerby and record everything that they see and or do. The cameras can be accessed by local law enforcement, federal law enforcement, or any other criminal agency at any time, with a live feed able to be brought up. These cameras are supposed to watch for “anti-social behavior”, and when detected, the police are to be dispatched and the situation taken care of.

While the idea of being watched sounds bad, it really is not. It depends clearly on the type. When you are being watched for your own safety, as these video cameras are doing for the citizens, sometimes it is necessary to make some privacy sacrifices to ensure your protection. The only question that arises is what exactly is “anti-social behavior”? If this anti-social behavior means a man waiting outside someone’s house looking to see if anyone is home, and then trying to break the door down or open a window, then it goes without saying that we would all be okay with these cameras. Sometimes these cameras can snoop into places we don’t want them too, and they then abandon their public service. This is the bad kind of being watched, a voyeuristic viewing of your life and its details. It doesn’t have to be the actual watching of your person though or what you are doing; this illegal type of surveillance expands into the extension of your self, except online: your social security number, your documents, your emails, etc.

Anonymity is important and is present everywhere in life. You can be anonymous in a figurative manner, like just one person in a crowd of thousands on the populous streets of New York City, or you can be anonymous just as a voter in a United States election. Can you imagine not being anonymous while you are voting? What about everyone seeing you pick your candidate of choice, and then having your name and choice broadcasted to the world? Voting is a highly personal act; no one can tell you how to vote, and only you can make the final decision of who to choose. People do not go around asking each other who they voted for; in fact, teachers and other educational staff are under oath not to tell for whom their sympathies and opinions lie, for they might influence their impressionistic students. If everyone knew who you voted for, life could be a bit dangerous. There are extremists of everything, and the political battle is no different. On both sides, there are people who might even kill to further their candidate and lower the opposition’s forces by one more. Voting is just one thing though, and anonymity spans a wide strata of daily life.

Think about being online; for most things and applications on the computer, you have a screen name, user name, log in code, call it what you will. This combination of numbers and letters is supposed to be a mask to hide you from the rest of the Internet, this is why you are advised or even forbidden to use your name or any other identifying details about yourself in your online name. Imagine if every one online knew everybody’s else’s real identity; the Internet would not run correctly! Who would sign onto the anonymous comment sites and share their real or dissenting opinion on some highly controversial issue if they knew everyone else knew who they were and they could be judged or get in trouble for their words?

These days, it is hard to place our trust in anything. Perhaps it is the prevalence of terrorism, or the declining economy, or maybe even the thought of a nuclear war floating in the back of our minds. While we are hesitant to put faith in almost anything, we do so often every day in the least trust-worthy situations; the problem is, we don’t realize it.

Take the Internet for example. Kids, every day, converse with each other online. This has become the primary form of communication among the youth of America; rare is the case when a group of friends will actually go out and meet in person when it is so much easier to do so on the computer. With this virtual existence though, one can argue they lose who their friends really are. While this is meant in a sentimental, profound fashion, the literal meaning applies too. Without seeing their faces and hearing their voices, how do you know the person typing is the one actually typing? It would be easy and plausible enough that the friend they are exchanging personal information with is actually a hacker who is trying to lure them into a real life encounter. This is sobering news, but sadly it happens often.