More and more people use the Internet daily for all purposes – work, fun and leisure, payments, marketing research, advertising, etc. Most websites collect user information – you receive notifications about cookies, and sometimes you must go through registration. For registration, you can provide fake personal data except for your email address, but cookies (or digital fingerprint) during standard settings of browsers you cannot control.
In cookies, a lot of information is stored: previously visited websites, your preferences, language, device accessing the Internet, last purchased goods on marketplaces, and location. This information is valuable as it allows you to provide target advertisements and direct your Internet surfing.
For sure, some users do not object to tracking, but for some, anonymity on the Internet is an important topic. This article is for the second one.
Methods of data protection on the Internet
Unfortunately, complete confidentiality is very difficult to obtain on the Internet. But the more complicated the process of data hacking is, the better. There are two main methods of precaution: organization and programs.
Organization methods are not so complicated and for sure do not provide you total security:
- Make additional accounts for public purposes and use them for registration on required services and social networks.
- Do not mix your personal and new public accounts.
- Try to access the Internet from different locations (countries, public places, private networks).
Program methods are more reliable, so that they will be reviewed in detail, and their pros and cons will be described further:
- Proxy-services. These programs are used as an intermediate virtual tool between your request and the requested website. With a proxy, you receive access to restricted services based on geolocation or company policy.
- VPNs (Virtual Private networks). This is a separate network that masks the original IP and encrypts all personal data of the user and his traffic.
- Antidetect browsers. Such browsers are a mixture of proxy-services, VPNs, and encryption services.
Pros and cons of VPN services
| Pros | Cons |
| User traffic is encrypted and safely goes to the Internet, providing safety from different threats. | Not all VPN services provide proper encryption protocols. |
| VPN hiding your personal data and messages from hackers. | If you installed VPN incorrectly, the user’s DNS and IP addresses are still available. |
| You can safely use WI-FI public networks. | Free VPNs are not safe. |
| It provides a medium anonymity level. | Good VPNs are mostly expensive. |
| No additional devices are required for this protection method. | Proper installation of VPN requires specialists. |
| VPN service can be enlarged to every extent, convenient to the Companies. | VPN interface is complicated mainly. |
| VPN provides access to restricted websites in your region | Unfortunately, some geo-restricted websites (Netflix and Instagram) are familiar with the most popular VPN services. |
As you can see, VPN is not the most convenient way to obtain data protection on the Internet; the same number of advantages and disadvantages show difficulties in its installation and lack of total anonymity.
Pros and cons of Antidetect Browsers
| Pros | Cons |
| Antidetect Browsers can customize all parameters of digital fingerprint. | Some Antidetect Browsers require the installation of an additional program. |
| Such a Browser allows simultaneously having several profiles with different settings. | Some Browsers can significantly decrease your Internet connection. |
| Browsers have several levels of access for teamwork. | There are not so many universal Antidetect Browsers. Mainly each one is designed for specific purposes. |
| They are suitable with most software (Windows, Linex, iOs) and on different electronic devices for accessing the Internet. | The Browser settings can be complicated for the average user. |
| Most Antidetect Browsers are based on popular browsers (Google, Mozilla). | Free Antidetect Browsers are not safe and have bugs. |
| The attractive price for many profiles with free trial periods. | |
| Friendly interfaces for most of the Browsers. | |
| Antidetect Browser provides the highest level of Internet anonymity. | |
| These Browsers allow access to geo-restricted content. |
Antidetect Browsers are excellent in passing through anti-fraud systems. Also, some specific Antidetect Browsers obtain exciting bonuses. For example, GoLogin Browser provides its user’s free proxies and integration with the TOR browser. So, Antidetect Browsers are one of the most successful ways to protect data on the Internet.
Pros and cons of Proxy servers
| Pros | Cons |
| A proxy hides the actual IP address. | A proxy cannot provide full access to the restricted websites. |
| Proxies allow access to some geo-restricted websites. | Proxies cash stores a lot of personal data that can be stolen. |
| Proxy administrators can limit access to the required web resources. | Free proxies are unsafe and very slow. |
| Some proxies provide cash access, significantly reduce traffic, and increase Internet connection speed. | Some proxy servers are unsuitable for local Internet network settings and cannot be used. |
| Proxy provides middle anonymity on the Internet. | No encryption and data protection for proxy users are available. |
| No special programs are required for working with a proxy, effortless installation in the standard browser settings. | You can receive advertisements from your proxy service provider. |
| A proxy server can define actual location by IP address and download targeting information for newcomers to your website |
Like all other programmable solutions, Proxies have pros and cons. Still, if you choose the trustable provider, you can minimize risks and, with minimum installation efforts, obtain real data protection and anonymity on the Internet.
Conclusion
In summary, each proposed programmable way to hide your data on the Internet has pros and cons. And the user’s choice should be made based on the required level of anonymity and your specific needs. The easiest solution is a proxy server, but no data encryption. VPN servers encrypt the traffic and are very popular nowadays. The Antidetect browsers provide the highest level of anonymity but are quite an expensive solution with complicated settings. Meanwhile, some Antidetect Browsers can include proxies and encryption protocols, combining the pros and cons of all proposed solutions. Nevertheless, no matter what programmable method you choose, always use organization methods to protect the most sensitive information – like emails/addresses/ phone numbers connected to your bank accounts.
Also Read: How To Choose The Best VPN For Your Task
