Who's Watching You On the Web?

Web Privacy Software

Every time you visit a website, a log file on that server records the pages you viewed, along with the date, time, your IP address and a few other tidbits of information. That's normal, but if it sounds scary, I encourage you to read my related article Does IP Address Reveal my Physical Location? to find out why none of that information identifies you personally.

However, those aren't the only tracks you leave when you browse the world-wide web. Web browsers store your browsing history. Sites that you visit plant cookies that describe where you've been, what you've clicked, and where you go after you leave. Other people who use your computer can access much of this information easily, and so, possibly, can strangers out there on the Internet.

Web browsers have privacy options built into them. In Firefox, you'll find these options on the Tools > Options > Privacy tab. You can set Firefox to clear your history and cached files after every session, or store such data for a limited time. You can also control and selectively delete cookies here. Internet Explorer's privacy settings can be accessed via Tools > Internet Options, on the General and Privacy tabs.

You can even kick it up a notch and use the "private browsing feature" which prevents your browser from storing cookies and browsing history. See my article Private Browsing (http://askbobrankin.com/private_browsing.html) for more details and instructions on how to turn on this feature in Firefox, Explorer, Safari, Chrome or Opera. You'll also want to make sure to see the info there about how to pause or delete your Google Web History.

Web Privacy Software Downloads

For even more privacy protection, check out this list of free and paid programs you can download:

Webroot Window Washer automatically wipes your browser history, cached files, local file history, and temporary registry settings each time you close your browser. Additionally, you can click the Clean Now button to erase temporary files and file history lists created by programs such as Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, and Windows itself. The control panel lets you specify applications whose traces should not be erased. Window Washer offers a free trial, after which you can pay $29.95 for a licensed copy.

GoTrusted Secure Tunnel makes all of your Web browsing anonymous and secure with a portable Virtual Private Network (VPN). It creates an encrypted, firewalled connection even on public WiFi hotspots that are not secured with an encrypted password. It hides your IP address from eavesdroppers. GoTrusted does not erase cookies, history lists, or other traces of your activities stored on your hard drive, but it does protect you from snoopers lurking online. GoTrusted is free to try for 7 days, after which your credit card will be billed $5.99 per month.

Easy-Hide-IP is an IP address "anonymizer" that, according to the company, "bypasses virtually any form of censorship or internet traffic blocking imposed on you by your ISP, your company, or third parties." With the Easy-Hide-IP proxy installed on your computer, all of your Internet traffic is routed through remote servers. As a result, the log files of the websites you visit will list the anonymizer's IP address, not yours. You can even choose your faux IP address and location, and encrypt all Web connections made by your browser or other Internet-enabled applications. Easy-Hide-IP's unlimited service costs $4.95 per month or $29.99 for a full year. Another option, the Internet Privacy Service from Anonymizer.com, is highly respected and has been around for many years, but is more pricey at $79.99 per year.

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