http://www.crimethinc.net/node/922
Surf the Web Anonymously
Submitted by 5ubver5ion on Sat, 2005-12-10 16:36.
Anonymous Web Browsing
Anonymous web browsing is the cornerstone of an anonymous online existence. Once you have a manner in which to surf the web anonymously, you can set up or use other anonymous services without giving yourself away. Without a way to cover your trail online, itâs pointless to create an anonymous site or check your anonymous (and disposable) email account, since â ultimately â your web browser is leaking all types of information about you as you set about these tasks.
In other words, the first step to an anonymous online life (or alter ego) is to learn to surf anonymously.
How Your Browser Leaves Tracks
For every web page you visit, your browser made a request to a web server. That request included â in addition to the URL of the page you wished to see â your internet address, the type of browser you use, your computer (host) name, the URL of the page youâre currently look at, and various detritus.
That wouldnât be so bad, except all that information gets stored in the web serverâs log. No one looks at these log files most of the time. Sure, a lot of websites use these log files to generate their aggregate web statistics (how many people visited the site, what were the most popular pages, etc.). Or, a web master or other technician might look for something in these files while debugging a website problem. But, generally, no one is poring over these files line-by-line looking for your name, internet address, and a list of pages you visited. Nonetheless, that data is still sitting out there, all the same.
And, if that data is sitting out there, itâs possible someone who wants to see it and reconstruct what you did, said, or viewed online can reconstruct it and figure you who you are and possibly where to find you. For example, IP addresses can be traced back to an Internet café and the host name might describe the computer at which you sat. Combine that with the data and timestamp, and an inquisitive person would have enough to frame the question, âDo you remember who sat at this particular computer last Tuesday around noon?â
[For the slightly less paranoid, anonymous web browsing lets you surf a variety of sites that might be off-limits while on company time (if youâre unfortunate to have to work, and to have to work in a place that doesnât understand â or worse yet, fears â the free flow of information). Anonymous browsing wonât help you when the boss looks over your shoulder and asks, âCrimethinc.net? What the fuck is that?â But, at least you wonât trip any warning bells if your company uses some sort of blacklist or firewall to restrict your web access.]
In any case, your goal is to suppress or hide the identifying information before it reaches the web server and gets recorded for posterity (or prosecution).
How Anonymity Works
The best way to surf anonymously is to use a proxy server. A proxy server stands between your computer and the web site you wish to visit. A proxy goes and gets a web page on your behalf, presenting its credentials to the website rather than yours. That way, itâs the proxyâs internet address, host name, etc. that ends up in the websiteâs logs and not yours.
In other words, instead of directly asking a web site, âShow me the About Us page,â your web browser asks the proxy server âGo to that website and get the About Us page so the website thinks itâs you who wants it, but bring the page to me so I can look at it. Remember, donât tell âem itâs me â it has to think itâs you that wants the page.â
Two Ways to Use a Proxy
You have two ways by which you can browse anonymously.
The first method, using a web-based proxy service, is good for when youâre not using your own computer and or donât otherwise have the ability to change the computerâs configuration. With a web-based proxy service, you donât have to install any software or change the web browserâs connection settings.
The drawback to a web-based proxy service is that browsing has to be done through the serviceâs address bar, rather than the browserâs address bar. Itâs pretty easy to slip up by typing Ctrl-L and the URL to which you want to go. Once youâve done that, youâve ruined your anonymity until you switch back to the web-based proxy service. Also, many web-based services have limits on what type of web code they can handle. For instance, they may not be able to work with advanced JavaScript, Java applets, ActiveX controls, and the like.
The second method is to configure the web browser to use a proxy server. This method is great for use on a computer you use often, since you can immediately start surfing the web without making a detour through a web-based service. The drawback to this method is that some of the most secure proxy servers are also pretty fleeting. One day theyâre up and running, the next day someone has shut it down. When that happens, youâll find that your web browser cannot connect to anything.
Both techniques are discussed below.
Using a Web-based Proxy Service
Finding a proxy service isnât hard. What you really want is a free proxy server. A free proxy service not only saves you some money, it also means you donât have to fork over a credit card number, which isnât very anonymous.
To find a free proxy service, you can search the Internet using any number of web search engines. For example, Google âfree proxy serverâ and peruse the results. Note that youâll find a lot of results, but not all are free. Also, note that many services that provide a free proxy service also offer paid services and that the free service, once you get to the service providerâs site, may not be easy to find. Many times, Iâve found a link to the free service tucked away at the bottom of the page amongst a lot of other clutter and in really small type.
