Cyber Security:

Hiding your IP Address

 

Your IP address is that unique number assigned to the network connection on your computer.

You can find it by using this site:

How to Hide Your identity

Hiding your IP address is basically borrowing a different IP address to go anywhere on the internet and stay hidden.

You're masking your real IP address when you use a borrowed one.

The reasons why you might want to mask your IP address may include:

hiding your geographical location,

prevent Web tracking,

avoid a digital footprint,

bypass any content filters, bans, or blacklists.

Using a VPN Service – The Best Way

There are various ways to hide your IP address and your identity, but by far the easiest and safest way is with a virtual private network or VPN. This can be done as part of your Anti-virus package.

If you are signed up for one of these services when you go online, you'll be showing the world a different IP address from the one allocated to you - one that's on loan from the service you're using.

There are many advantages to using a personal VPN service over a proxy such as:

high-speed bandwidth,

usability,

a secure connection,

private access to blocked sites, and

the ability to choose the country and city where you appear to be.

There are hundreds of VPN companies you can choose from, but many of them are 'shady and/or poor quality' - so use a reputable company!

Using the Tor Browser – The Slowest Choice

For comprehensive anonymization of your traffic, you'll want to access the free Tor network. People from all over the world use Tor to search and buy products and communicate with others with restricted Internet access, such as what exists in some foreign countries.

The Tor Browser (like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari) is a free software program that you download onto your computer that conceals your IP address every time you go online anonymously.

This free process is layered with heavy-duty encryption, which means your data is layered with security and privacy protection.

 

While a VPN tunnels your web traffic to a VPN server, Tor bounces around your traffic through several volunteer nodes which makes it much harder to track. Using Tor also grants access to hidden Dark Web sites, which a VPN simply cannot do.

That said, some services, such as NordVPN and ProtonVPN, offer Tor access on specific servers.

Note that Tor will slow down your connection even more than a VPN. Unfortunately, the browser isn't built for speed.

Use a Proxy Server – The Riskiest Method

A proxy server (sometimes called an "open proxy" or just "proxies") can be used to re-route your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, or Edge) around a company's or school's content filters.

There are risks involved in using free proxies to mask your IP address:

Many will slow down your internet connection,

some are run on compromised machines, and

may not be legal in some countries.

A safer solution is to use proxies managed by a company such as Smartproxy.

Use Public WiFi – Free at your local coffee shop!

An IP address doesn't travel with you.

So if you simply go to a coffee shop, bookstore, or hotel lobby and tap into their free Wi-Fi, you will temporarily hide your usual IP address - because you'll be using their network's IP address for as long as you're online.

However, if you're not using a VPN at the time, your Internet activity will be at risk of being spied on or intercepted by bad actors without your even knowing it - so don't make online purchases or check your bank account while drinking your 'Grande Espresso' and using public wifi.