Computer security is so much more than checking your laptop for viruses every week.  If that’s all you are doing then you have left yourself vulnerable.  The bad guys can install malware on your computer and track your every click as you surf the Internet.  If you do a lot of shopping and banking online then you are particularly vulnerable.  But it’s not just criminals that you need to be wary of.  A lot of marketing companies are competing to acquire and sell your information to advertisers.  You’ll stop them before they start by using a proxy server.

If you’re like most people you probably have no idea what a proxy server does.  The server you use to connect to the Internet has a unique identification code called an IP address.  This identifier allows someone to follow your every move online.  When you connect through a proxy you keep all that information hidden.  The bad guys follow your history back to the proxy not to your computer.  This is a stellar tool for getting around firewalls at work too.  A lot of sports games and tv shows are blocked based on your location.  Use a proxy to get around these restrictions.

There are a few must-have features you should look for when you buy proxy software.  It shouldn’t be complicated to use and you don’t want anything you have to configure yourself.  Fast service should be guaranteed and they should not censor your activity.  It doesn’t make sense to protect yourself at the expense of using the Internet how you want.  There should be no restrictions on files or images and there should be unlimited bandwidth.  At the top of your list should be top of the line security.  Make sure they use data encryption for unsecured sites and that they rotate through a lot of different IP addresses.  Make sure that low price doesn’t mean you’ll be subjected to a lot of ads.  You don’t need to put up with that kind of business.

Protecting yourself and your computer by using a proxy server should be just as natural as using the Internet.  Use a proxy server to thwart the forces that want to track your every move online to get your personal information.  You’ll be able to use it to get around firewalls and watch restricted shows online.  Look for a system that is super easy to use, prioritizes security and doesn’t force you to see ads to use it.  Surf and shop in peace knowing you are fully protected.

Infographic byWordStream Internet Marketing

Take Control of Your Internet Privacy

Here are  3 simple steps to control your privacy on the Internet:

1. Never post personal information on the Internet.  Once information is on the web, it can be copied and shared without your permission.  Once posted, you’ve lost control over where it can appear.  What may seem harmless can lead to the wrong people having your information.
2. Use an anonymous proxy to hide your IP address.  Your IP address is one identifier that can lead back to you.  By hiding it you can throw would be stalkers off your trail.
3. Clear your cookies.  While normally cookies are not harmful, they do provide information back to websites you visit about your habits on their website.  This may or may not be something you care about.  It depends on the websites you visit.

Anonymous Proxy usage is on the rise. This is because an anonymous proxy can help you bypass Internet restrictions or Internet censorship. An anonymous proxy is an Internet server that you connect to and that appears to be your ISP’s Internet server to any site that you visit. The websites that you visit when connected to an anonymous proxy see the proxies IP address and not the IP address of your ISP, or employer. This helps bypass restrictions based on IP address. If your IP address is banned or blocked, then by using the IP address of the anonymous proxy, you are bypassing the ban.

Anonymous surfing is slightly different. In addition to hiding your IP address, anonymous surfing is the process of being invisible on the web. With an anonymous proxy that encrypts your website traffic, you make virtually impossible for someone to monitor your Internet surfing. All they will see is the encrypted traffic which is almost impossible to decipher.

When you surf anonymously by using encryption, then the data that you send not only can’t be read, its hard to block. Let’s say that you are in mainland China and researching democracy. By encrypting your searches, the Chinese government won’t know what you are looking for. This bypasses the block on those searches. Let’s also assume that the New York Times website is blocked by the Chinese. Again, the URL that you enter into your browser is encrypted so it cannot be monitored. This also means it can’t be blocked.

Anonymous Proxy and Anonymous Surfing are keys to being safe on the Internet. Safe from hackers and thieves. And safe from repressive governments.

For most of us, we don’t worry about being anonymous because we don’t live in a repressed society. However, governments aren’t the only ones watching you. Hackers and thieves are watching you too. Using an anonymous proxy can also protect you from would be thieves.

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?

The second type of anonymous proxy is a software proxy. This is somewhat like the web-based one however, software proxies work by downloading a program to your computer. Many of the software programs are set up so that when the traffic from your browser goes through the IP servers to be changed, they are put through encryption.  This encryption protects the data stream so that a hacker cannot read what you are sending over the Internet.  Without encryption your data stream is wide open for anyone using a packet sniffer.  Unprotected Internet communications is one way that people lose their identity or their money.

Setting this up is a very simple process. All you have to do is download the software for the anonymous proxy server. The software you are using will have an icon on your desktop. Open the program from here and put in your user name and your password. The next thing will be to choose the anonymous proxy from the ones available that you wish to connect to and hit enter. Your computer will be connected to the server you chose. The browser you use can be opened and your IP address is changed to one from the software program. Eliminating your IP address from showing on whatever site you choose to visit is a terrific move. The electronic trail that is left by your computer every time you go online no longer leads back to your computer. It goes to the server company that has the program you are using. This type of anonymous proxy has more servers to handle the traffic they are getting so it is faster than the ones you can choose free from the Internet. In addition, you are not inundated with the advertisements often put on free proxy servers.

The whole process makes for a safe and secure way of doing anything online. Instead of them being able to have full access to all your pertinent information, the IP address is routed through anonymous proxy servers. This eliminates the chance of a hacker gaining control of your information while you are online. Using a wireless router or a laptop on a hotspot allows everything you are doing to be seen by those who are just waiting for an unsuspecting surfer to come along. Did you know that your ISP even has a log of everything you do on the Internet? The law says they have to keep a record of the sites you visit. Do you think this is anyone’s business besides yours? The best way to make sure no one knows what you are doing while you are online is to make use of the anonymous proxy software that encrypts your communication and keeps them private.

First of all, usage times. It is inevitable that there will be some squabbling over who gets to use the computer at what time, or that some needs to use it now because it is an emergency, there are ways to solve this. Consider making a chart of times, and have everyone pre-sign up the day of for the times that they would like to use the computer. Everyone lives different lives, so this should work out well. Parents can use it before kids get home, and then kids to do homework and socializing, and then switch again. Having a schedule will stop people from getting into a computer fisticuffs.

If the system allows it, and most do, set up multiple accounts. This will allow everyone to have their own personal settings, and not argue over a universal desktop! This way also, the parents can set restrictions of time or block certain content from the child accounts, while letting their accounts go free. This way can help for documents as well. If the adults are working from that computer, this will stop an unknowledgeable kid from accidentally deleting a big document or spreadsheet the parent was making for over a month.  This can also help too if the family has a music sharing program. While they still can see everyone else’s content if they wish, the different members won’t have to sit through each other’s likely clashing music tastes.

Sites to go on is an important one as well. Some sites are just riddled with viruses and other mal ware. Teach your kids (or teach your parents!) which sites are dangerous and which are perfectly safe. There are many websites that can do this and will offer exciting ways to learn, and not just be boring and say “don’t do this… don’t do that.” Kids learn by exciting methods, not by mindless drilling, and there are many sites that know this and cater to it.

If the computer is not able to have more than one user account, remember to never check the “keep me signed in” box on many log-in and password websites. If this is checked, everyone will be able to be you as you are signed in, as there is no way to discern who is who without having multiple accounts. This will also save everyone the hassle of signing out of your account every time they wish to log into theirs.

If you are running a proxy server, teach your kids its value and how to boot it up. Teach your kids about an IP address and what it is and how it is risky to keep public. If you show them how it can locate you, and then activate the proxy and make it say you are in Switzerland, they’ll be hooked!

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.

Some criminals have learned the enigmatic arts of intercepting online conversations, and using the possibly embarrassing information as a blackmail tool, to get the person to pay up or their sensitive secret is spilled to everyone. The zenith of criminal achievement through the hacker is by far identity theft. These hackers, by accumulating certain identifying and personal pieces of information from a person, can actually exploit the power of the Internet to, online, become that person. Very useful if they wish to buy a variety of expensive items online but do not have the money to do so themselves.

What the public doesn’t know and the hackers wish to keep a secret is the anonymous proxy server. This private proxy will enable you to surf the Internet incognito, and have high bit encryption services cover all of your tracks,, so that some hacker cannot get into anything of yours. Surf anonymously online through an anonymous proxy and circumvent even the most creative criminal!