Online privacy is currently more important than ever. More and more people are becoming increasingly concerned about digital footprints, the online tracking by major technology companies of any personal information they leave behind via social media.
If you are someone who puts privacy first when using the Internet, this article may help you. In this article, I provide you with several effective strategies for anonymous surfing in Windows 11 so that you can can use the internet safely and without worries.
First, we'll start by exploring the incognito mode of the most popular internet browsers. Next, we'll look at the role of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in encrypting your Internet connection and hiding your IP address, shielding your online activities. Using browsers with Tor integration is also an option. These browsers provide an extra layer of privacy by redirecting your internet traffic through multiple servers.
How to surf the internet anonymously in Windows 10 or Windows 11
Incognito mode in the browser
Incognito mode, also known as private mode in some browsers. When you browse in incognito mode, the browser does not store any data about your browsing session. This includes data such as your browsing history, cookies, and form entries. The purpose of Incognito Mode is to provide users with more privacy while browsing the Internet, especially when using a shared or public computer.
By using incognito mode, less data is stored locally (on the PC). This has no effect on the data stored on the internet by external parties.
Google Chrome
To enter Incognito Mode in Google Chrome, press the following key combination:
CTRL + SHIFT + N.
Microsoft Edge
To open Incognito Mode in Microsoft Edge, press the following key combination:
CTRL + SHIFT + N.
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Firefox
To enter Incognito Mode in Google Chrome, press the following key combination:
CTRL + SHIFT + P.
Key features of incognito mode
- When you browse in incognito mode, your browser does not store any information about which websites you have visited. Once you close the incognito window, your browsing history will disappear without leaving any traces on your device.
- Cookies, which websites use to store information about your visit, are only stored temporarily during your incognito session. Once you close the incognito window, these cookies and all other site data will be erased.
- Searches you perform while in incognito mode will not be saved to your search history or synced to your account on search engines, unless you are logged in to your account on those search engines.
- Incognito mode separates your private browsing session from your normal browsing sessions. This means you can surf in incognito mode and normal mode at the same time, with different sessions functioning independently of each other.
Ad blocker and tracking blockers
Using an ad blocker contributes to a more anonymous browsing experience, but it is important to understand that an ad blocker alone does not provide complete anonymity. Ad blockers are designed to block advertising on websites, which not only improves the user experience but also reduces certain forms of online tracking.
A commonly used ad blocker is uBlock Origin. In my opinion, it is the best ad blocker available right now.
uBlock Origin uses a series of predefined and user-customizable filter lists to determine which requests (such as ads, trackers, and scripts) to block or allow. These lists contain rules that target specific URL patterns, domain names, or page elements. By default, uBlock Origin uses popular lists such as EasyList (for ads) and EasyPrivacy (for trackers), but also supports many others such as anti-malware filters.
uBlock Origin implements several features to protect users' privacy, such as blocking tracking cookies and preventing WebRTC leaks, which can reveal users' real IP addresses even when using a VPN.
VPN server
A VPN provides a secure way to surf online by creating a private network from a public Internet connection. VPNs mask your IP address so that your online actions are virtually untraceable. The main purpose of a VPN is to secure your internet connection and protect your privacy. By using a VPN you make it more difficult for online advertisers, search engines or social media to track you online via your IP address.
Unfortunately, a VPN is not 100% secure either. Shielding your IP address is an important aspect of online privacy, but you can be tracked in many other ways. Nevertheless, a VPN is recommended if you want to guarantee your online privacy, especially if you use a free one public wifi.
Both NordVPN and SurfShark VPN are both recommended as VPN servers. Here is the difference between these two.
| Role | NordVPN | SurfShark |
|---|---|---|
| Number of servers | 5500+ | 3200+ |
| Number of countries | 59+ | 65+ |
| Privacy Policy | Strictly no logs | Strictly no logs |
| Simultaneous connections | 6 | Unlimited |
| Encryption | AES-256 | AES-256 |
| Kill Switch | Ja | Ja |
| Split tunneling | No | Ja |
| Ad blocking | Yes (CyberSec) | Yes (CleanWeb) |
| Double VPN/MultiHop | Ja | Yes (MultiHop) |
| No-logs policy | Ja | Ja |
| Speed | Very fast | Quick |
| Price (approximate) | €3,30 – €11,95 per month | €2,30 – €12,95 per month |
NordVPN has a higher number of servers, while SurfShark offers a higher number of countries and allows unlimited simultaneous connections. SurfShark also offers split tunneling, which is not available with NordVPN. Both services offer a kill switch, ad blocking, and the option for Double VPN or MultiHop connections. In terms of speed, NordVPN is rated as 'Very Fast', while SurfShark is rated as 'Fast'. The price of NordVPN and SurfShark varies depending on the subscription chosen.
Important features of a VPN
- A VPN encrypts data between your internet connection and the internet. This makes it difficult to track your online.
- Masking the IP address. Using a VPN ensures that the IP address you connect to is masked, which also makes it harder to track you online.
- Bypassing GEO restriction. You can bypass certain blocks for a website or service using a VPN.
- Online protection. A VPN protects you against several types of attacks, such as man-in-the-middle attacks on public WiFi or attacks via compromised advertisements.
Related: Manually create a VPN connection in Windows 11
TOR or a browser with TOR integrated
If you take your online privacy very seriously, you may want to consider using TOR. TOR stands for “The Onion Router” and is an open-source privacy network that allows users to surf the Internet anonymously. It is designed to protect users' privacy and security by encrypting their Internet traffic and routing it through a global network of servers, or nodes.
This process, known as onion routing, makes it extremely difficult to track a user's activities or determine where they are accessing the Internet from.
TOR-browser
You can use TOR via the TOR browser. The TOR Browser is a free open-source initiative aimed at improving privacy and security on the Internet by developing and distributing the Tor software. The project was started to protect people from network surveillance and traffic analysis, which can threaten the privacy and freedom of individuals, organizations and states.
Brave browser with TOR
In addition to the TOR browser, there is also a browser that incorporates TOR technology without always having to use it. This is the Brave Browser. In the Brave browser you can normally use the internet without TOR, but if you still want to use TOR you can open a private window with TOR. TOR is integrated into the Brave browser, so no additional browser or software needs to be installed.
Key features of Tor
- Tor provides a high degree of anonymity by making it difficult for anyone to track your physical location or monitor your online activities.
- It helps protect personal information from prying eyes, making it useful for people living in countries with strict censorship and surveillance.
- Tor can help users access websites and services that are blocked or censored in their country.
- You can visit “union” websites on a protected part of the internet that are not available via a normal internet connection.
What are the disadvantages of online privacy?
Are there also disadvantages to using tools to ensure online privacy? Yes, there are. Tools to ensure online privacy can break functionality on websites. By blocking certain scripts, in some cases a website may not load properly or may not be displayed correctly. Especially for less technically savvy people, it may take some time to figure out where exactly the problem is. For example, an ad blocker can block certain scripts and a VPN cannot make a certain connection because the connection is blocked.
In case of connection to the TOR network, TOR is blocked on certain websites due to frequent abuse by attackers. Even when using search engines, you may always be challenged to solve “captcha” questions to verify that you are a human and not a robot. These are all minor problems that you regularly encounter when using these types of tools.
How do I know if my online privacy tool is working?
If you have installed a tool to improve your online privacy, you also want to know whether this tool works. For example, consider a VPN that masks your IP address, how do you know whether this is actually the case. You can test this. Here are several websites with which you can test whether your tool works.
Check IP address
To request your current IP address you can use the following websites.
Adblocker tester
If you want to know if your installed adblocker is working, you can use the following websites.
TOR connection check
If you think you are connected to the TOR network, it is important to know whether you have indeed been successfully connected. You can check this on the following websites.
Tracking and fingerprint check
When you use a tool to spoof certain data via anti-tracking or anti-fingerprinting, it is important to know whether this tool actually works. You can check this on the following websites.
I hope to have informed you with this. Thank you for reading!
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