This type of criminal would have a starring role in an old gangster movie, the ones so overplayed they would be in a stark non-color and grainy version. As with their movie persona, these bad guys committed some atrocities. The film portrayals simply scared the viewers, but real street crooks are the ones to be held accountable for almost of the fright and damage to people. These bad people are the ones who make the cities unsafe at night, and are bait for most news reports adding to the hysteria.

These men and women were the most evil of the bad in their era. They were the outcasts of society, the ones that, when friends and families saw them in court, would avert their gaze, as if their gaze had some strange and hypnotic power. These were the reasons that the United States treads lightly with its prison system. It is a strange thing that such an accepting society conjures: you have these boundless rights and freedoms, yet it is just assumed that you will not abuse them. Unfortunately, while most of us take care of these rights, guys like these don’t and it tears at the very foundation of our country.

The criminals of the olden days, the kind that would stop you in a desolate corridor with their weapons and then steal all of your goods, although were at one time the worst of the worst, are child’s play to our bad guys of recent. The criminals of today have a huge advantage: they have assimilated today’s technology into their misdeeds. One might at first consider that this technology is with the boys in blue, making it simpler and more efficient to get these scum, but in fact it helps the crooks to hide themselves. The criminals have become one with the high-tech technology and have become very skilled in its use.

Think of any average crime scene.  A sly criminal who wanted to steal some money would see a rich-looking person, and decide their odds of winning. Weapons brandished and in a brazen attack they would confront their target, wave the gun around, and rob their victim. Once they get all of the money out of the wallet, they would tell the the poor slob not to call the police. They would then sprint all of the way to their hideout and lay low for a little while, until the police were off of them.

It didn’t matter though: with a well staffed and skilled police force, the thief was usually apprehended in a timely manner. There was not any tools of the trade they could use to hide themselves or clean up the scene of the crime. Once they were caught, there was no DNA markings to put them at the crime scene then, there was just a simple line-up and the victim, who tentatively singled out the criminal.

Technology is our hero then, right? Unfortunately, this is often not the case. While our rapid success in producing DNA tracking, fingerprints and other technological advances, these tools can also help in the suspect’s runaway from justice. A running car is the most high-tech equipment a criminal today needs to disappear; it doesn’t matter is they know exactly who did the act. If they can’t go out and get them, all of their information on them is quite useless.

A crime where there is no scene; the perfect crime. These online perpetration’s are quite difficult for law enforcement, as there is no real site of the deed, and a criminal can conceal while online. Another harrowing fact is that these identity thieves and hackers, as was stated before, are not usually caught and carried to justice. So not many reliable ways through to effectively thwart them, we can only hope to preemptively hide ourselves from their attacks. Always be very wary online, and protect yourself with a variety of online safety tools. Steer clear of darkened alleyways!

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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.

When you are thinking about your IP address, remember that things that are not your ISP that can still hand out IP addresses. For example, take a look at your wireless router, whether you use it at work or at home. You are only going to be getting one IP address through the router, but the router arranges the information so that multiple devices can use the connection at once. Remember that the IP address that is given out by your ISP is going to go through your router and then the router will generate an IP address for your computers. An IP address that begins with 192.168.1.0 or 192.168.1.1 is a sign that you are being given an address by a router rather than a direct connection.

When you want to learn more about networking in general., you need to look into being able to tell the difference between an IP address and a MAC address. Though people often confuse them, the truth of the matter is that they do not have a great deal in common. At the most basic level, a MAC address is simply a twelve character long string of numbers and letters; typically, when they are written down, they are divided into pairs through the use of dashes. If you have a device that can connect to the Internet, that device will have a MAC address. A MAC address can be used to identify a machine on the system and you will find that this can be an important security feature. When machines go through a router, the network as a whole can only see the MAC address of the router, not the machines behind it. Take some time and learn how to find your own computer’s MAC address. You will discover that one way to secure a network is to make sure that it is only open to a certain list of MAC addresses; as all devices have different MAC addresses, this is a more secure way to take care of a network.

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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 purpose of companies streaming their television shows onto the internet is so that people will see them, and eventually decide to buy them on DVD. People outside the country however will not be able to buy these because they are simply unavailable. Companies decided that they were actually losing money because such people couldn’t get a hold of their products! They didn’t seem to consider all of the people IN the United States that were buying. After all, what could it hurt if a few foreigners watched an episode of The Office, or even Stargate Universe? Well you wouldn’t think that it could hurt at all, but the production companies didn’t quite see it that way. For this reason they started to block IP addresses outside of the United States. The same went for several social networking websites because they suffered from the same advertisement problem. This however did not stop the military personnel from viewing their favorite websites. They instead turned to proxies.

For those who don’t know, a proxy is a server that one can connect to. This server will then connect you to the internet via it’s own connection. What does this accomplish? It provides you with a new IP address which is based in the United States. You are not visiting websites via your own connection, but instead you are using the ISP that the proxy subscribes to. What you’re dealing with there is surfing the internet using a computer across the ocean. The moral aspect is up to you, but if you get a proxy with decent encryption, the ISP you use overseas will never know the difference. This is also a great way to protect your privacy. By using a proxy you will be able to hide your identity while catching up on your favorite shows. The one thing you don’t want to do in a war zone is broadcast who you are and what you are doing. With that in mind, start shopping for a good proxy today. Once you arrange a good one, you will be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy your favorite shows.

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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.

This kind of surveillance is obviously the aforementioned bad kind. It usually has one defining characteristic; it is done through technology. Somebody snoops on you using some high tech device, breaking through the meager defenses you have on your (it is oftentimes) computer. You always have to be wary of your computer; it can be a great addition to your life and make many things easier with the power of the Internet, but it can be dangerous as well. Most computer are not secured and protected properly, and surf the web “without their seat belts on”, if you will.

Don’t fret; getting a secure Internet is easy. Anonymous proxy is what you need to look for, and once you find a good one, look no further. An anonymous proxy can enable you to surf the web anonymously and keep you hidden from the prying eyes of those wishing to commit this “anti-social behavior.” Find a reliable private proxy and stick with it, and you will be perfectly secure on the Internet.

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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.

These false identities online can be harmful. A poll was recently posted on the hot new social networking site FaceBook with an insidious title: “Should President Obama be killed?” The poll was open with four options, and almost seven hundred and thirty people navigated to the site to post their response. While this can quickly be written off as a joke due to the ease of posting a poll and the fact that anyone can do so, it is still entirely possible this was the doing of some sociopath looking for support.

The poll was quickly investigated by the Secret Service and was promptly shut down. Consider the implications of this: if the Secret Service pounced on it so quickly, it was obviously no laughing matter. While these people are doing their crimes secretly on the Internet, others are invading your privacy. In a mock contest to give away a certain amount of money, Netflix investigated nearly all of their user’s browsing histories to determine what kind of movies they would like, and market to the customers appropriately.

Anonymity on the Internet isn’t always a bad thing though; only when put into the wrong hands. If everyone on the Internet was anonymous, these privacy issues would not occur. If you plan to protect yourself and ensure anonymous browsing online, you have to utilize an anonymous proxy. By masking your IP address, it hides you from the rest of the hacking and tracking Internet.

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The premise is simple; give people ads that they might actually consider. Imagine a dainty young woman into flowers, teacups, and all things cute and cuddly. If while on a beauty website, she encounters an ad for a protein shake that is guaranteed to put on fifteen percent more muscle in one week, she probably isn’t going to even think about clicking it. On the other end of the spectrum, if a muscle-bound college kid is managing his fantasy football team, and an ad for a miracle garden solution pops up, he probably won’t think twice before exiting it out.

These may be a bit extreme, but everyone has had something like this occur. One can see two sides of the coin to this new behavioral advertising; one is good and puts ads that you may actually consider on your screen, and another is bad and completely invades your privacy without permission.

While these invasive ads may seem to violate privacy laws, they actually don’t. The ISPs will allow them to do so on their customers because the ads will pay them a percentage of their profits. This still doesn’t quell the public’s concerns… someone is getting into their personal and private browsing history and compromising their anonymous browsing experience online. Although the people are outraged and concerned, there truly is little they can do.

Well, little they can do in the form of laws and regulations anyway. If you want to avoid these advertisers and their hands-on tactics, try using an anonymous proxy server. When you download your private proxy for just a few dollars a month, you will quickly see it was money well spent.

This useful piece of software actually changes your IP address, which will thwart any possible hackers or trackers, as your IP address is the key to any data you have on your computer. The best anonymous proxy servers will actually have an encryption service built right in, which can encode all of your Internet traffic so it looks like hieroglyphics to any snoopers.

This serves two purposes; first, it protects you from hackers and other criminal scum, and secondly, it scrambles all of your data so the behavioral advertisers can’t read any of it. If they can’t read it, they can’t try and forcefully solicit their products to you. An anonymous proxy is the perfect remedy for a situation that will plague the public for quite a while before somebody finally does something about it. Don’t let your ISP give away your information for a profit, secure your browsing with an anonymous proxy now and never let anyone in on your documents again.

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Some people use these cache systems to help out with their P2P (peer-to-peer) transfers. This will store part of the data that needs to be transferred and copied, and will allow it to load much more quickly. The cache will also hold other data that will cause the Internet to be a faster place for users and allow more data to be transferred more quickly.

The cache also comes with some risks too. Anytime identifying data or browsing history is stored on your computer, you will have some sort of privacy issue. The less information you keep about yourself and your browsing habits on your computer and on the Internet, the safer and more anonymity you will enjoy. It is possible that a hacker could gain access to your data by using your IP address to hack into your computer. It is also possible to just steal your computer and get into your cache. It is one thing for your system to be physically stolen, but if a hacker could remotely access your computer and get all sorts of sensitive information and other browsing habits, it could be forever before you found out and tried to stop it, but by then the damage could be irreversible.

There is also the practice of ISPs using a cache system for all of its users to enjoy. This seems ideal, because with so many users going on so many different sites, yet sharing the same cache, they could all use the giant cache system to load many sites faster, instead of only the ones they previously went on. This seems great, but if someone were to somehow gain access to the gigantic universal cache, they would have access to so many people’s data that it would be a privacy nightmare. Imagine, so many people’s data compromised so quickly!

Today though, the cache system is archaic. It was a good idea when Internet connection speeds were slow, but with today’s DSL and broadband being the norm for most Internet users, the connections are so fast that the cache became a liability. People worried about the security risks.

Today, proxies don’t use the cache system either. One of the concepts for a proxy was specifically for the caching of sites making your browsing faster.  Companies cached the sites that their employees went to thus speeding up the web browsing. They used to have a system like the ISPs, but they have pretty much abandoned that due to the speed of Internet connections. Although the cache still is in effect on most every computer, it has taken a backseat after the Internet became so streamlined and fast.

Now proxies are used primarily for Internet privacy.  By using an anonymous proxy a user can surf the Internet anonymously.  An anonymous proxy can do two things for the user.  First it can change the IP address of the user thus protecting their location.  And if the proxy uses encryption it can also prevent hackers from intercepting and reading the data sent over the Internet.

Cache, however, remains on your PC.  These are now mostly garbage files and should be deleted regularly.  All browsers have the ability to clear the cache upon exiting.  Some call these files temporary Internet files, some call it cache.  In either case, you don’t need them anymore.

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Although out Internet is as free as red, white, and blue can be, freedom can bring about some bad things. Criminals and identity thieves roam the Internet; hackers and trackers prey on innocents. As technology increases, these criminals up their arsenal and still have some tricks up their sleeve. Some people may feel comforted by the security systems and firewalls installed on their computer, but this is just the same as a child hiding under the covers; what are the covers actually going to do?

These preliminary defenses are a piece of cake for a hacker of even the most rudimentary talent. The truth is, even if these defenses worked, they still wouldn’t fix the main problem: the IP address. This virtual nametag your computer wears is shown to every website, and contains your location. If someone got your IP address, all they would have to do is copy it into a Google search, and they would have your location.

Although the IP is completely public, it can be hidden using anonymous proxy software. This will actually mask your IP, and allow you to travel anonymously and securely on the web. The proxy will change your IP address to one it uses, and this way, you will not appear as you, but as the proxy.

There a variety of these services to choose from. Web proxies are the most common, and most widely used, often because they are free. All these entail is going to a website, hitting in the address you wish to visit, and the proxy will act as a middleman, and retrieve the information for you, so it’s like you never even visited the site.

The other type of proxy server is the professional, fee-based server. These will offer the same services as a web proxy, but often add in an additional layer of security. Although people feel safe with a web proxy, the truth is they offer no security and are sometimes run by hacker to steal people’s information. Fee-based proxies offer encryption services, which will encode all of your data so that it will appear as hieroglyphics to any hacker or interloper.

Don’t be disillusioned by total freedom; you are not always safe. The systems that protect you and come stock on your computer are not enough to combat the perils of online life and browsing. There are criminals who, every day, make an illicit living on people who are unprotected. Don’t be one of them! Protect yourself by using an anonymous proxy and ward off any intruder to your Internet space. Most importantly, don’t let anyone locate you through your IP address, use an anonymous proxy and gain the peace of mind that comes with complete safety.

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We recreated the conditions under which he posted, placing our own ads, which were not ghosted.  We examined each server for IP flagging, but all the addresses came back clean.

We discovered that the email address our customer used was the culprit. Other customers have reported similar problems, and their difficulties were the result of entirely different issues, such as their cookies.  There are many ways to track internet users.  We’ve compiled a list of suggestion on ways to protect your anonymous status online below.

User Accounts
You should always create a new account using your anonymous proxy server when a site you’re visiting requires a user id or log in. Make sure to clear your cookies before you make the new account.  This is necessary because using the same user account with just a new IP address isn’t effective and your information could still be compromised.

Email Addresses
Multiple email addresses are the way to go when dealing with websites that require them.  If properly set up using an anonymous proxy, then your identity will be hidden.  For example, you can use Hotmail in tangent with one of our servers.  If you sign up while using our Tempe Arizona proxy, your header in the email will show an Arizona IP address each time you send one, effectively masking your true location.

Keeping an Anonymous Identity
After you use hotmail to set up your email address, you can use the account for creating an entire anonymous profile for blogs, Gmail and other interactive internet sites.  Just be sure to identify yourself as being from Arizona in your profile and use the same name consistently.  Use the identity for other sites as well.  The more you use it, the more believable it will be to others.  Consistency is everything.

Cookies
Cookies are a very common method websites use to make use easier for repeat visitors.  Cookies contain info about the last page visited, user ids, or anything else specific to the visitor and how they used the website.  It’s a good idea to delete cookies after visiting a site.  Mozilla Firefox’s browser can be set to automatically clear your private data when you leave a site and allows you to set permissions for the sites on which you don’t want the cookies cleared.

These suggestions should be a great help in your anonymous web surfing and posting.  You’ll be able to interact online while protecting both your privacy and your identity.

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