Is anonymous browsing really safe?

Every day millions of people use Google Chrome, accounting for 76% of the worldwide web browser market. Among these millions of people, a large number of users use incognito mode to maintain privacy and ensure safety when accessing websites.

However, incognito mode is not really as secure as you might think. Although it does offer some minimal privacy, there is no way to stop those who want to spy, or in a more fancy and funny way, it is not the cloak. Even when using incognito mode, your browsing activities are logged in your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and anyone else with a bit of technology knowledge.

Google Chrome isn’t the only web browser with this incognito mode. Nowadays, most web browsers have similar features and pose the same security risks. If you want to be really safe on your web pages, you need to do a few more steps.

What does incognito mode really do?

With incognito mode enabled, what you are really doing is asking Google not to save your search history, cookies and cache during the session. Rather, you are telling Chrome not to remember what you did, but that doesn’t mean your information isn’t being recorded. This can help in protecting your data from being curious by others while using your computer.

In addition, it is also extremely useful when you are using someone else’s computer, or using a public machine such as in the library, workplace, etc.When you enable incognito mode before visiting a website, You can guarantee that all browsing data and login information will not be saved.

In addition, when using incognito mode, not only does Chrome not save new information, it is also temporarily not remembering recent data history in the incognito mode window. This means, you can log into two accounts at the same time on a website.

You can also use this when searching for airline tickets as some companies will change the rates based on your search history. Due to incognito your search history throughout the session, you can compare the prices in incognito mode with regular searches.

In general, incognito mode is useful when you don’t want others to see your browsing or search history on a computer. It also helps you log into multiple accounts or check the information on the website has been changed because of the search history.

But if you really want to maintain your surfing privacy, there are a few more security methods you can take.

Things incognito didn’t do

Incognito mode only prevents data from being saved in Chrome (or any other web browser) on the computer you are using. It cannot block other parties, such as ISPs, websites, or cybercriminals from using different types of detection tools to view your information. This is a problem with incognito mode, it just “forgets” what you enter but still has other elements that know everything you do.

All other parties can still keep an eye on what you do on Chrome without any problems. If you log into Facebook from a private tab, the ISP still knows what you do. Facebook still accesses some of your data.

Although your browsing history and cookies are deleted when you close the private window, your data can still be tracked. Today, websites have a variety of sophisticated tools that allow them to connect your activity with your real identity even when you are using incognito mode.

Take special care when using the Internet in public places. A lot of schools or companies have tracking software that will keep track of what you are doing, whether you are using incognito mode or not. For this reason, you should not work separately, the need for great security in places using the public Internet.

How to really surf safely?

There are a few ways you can stay safe while surfing the web. However, danger persists every time you touch your computer.

When surfing the web, there are two things you should use to stay as safe as possible: using a VPN and a password manager.

A VPN is software that obscures your IP address from your ISP and the websites you visit. When you activate the VPN, your traffic is redirected through an encrypted, secure connection on a separate server. Basically, your ISP will see that you’re connected to the VPN, but everything will then be in incognito mode.

When visiting a website, your IP address will show up as the VPN’s IP, not your own. This prevents websites from recognizing you in most cases. Also, since the data is encrypted through VPN, you can protect yourself from bad guys when using your computer on public Wifi.

Alternatively, you can also use a password manager. The password manager allows you to securely store your passwords so you don’t forget them. They can also generate strong passwords with the touch of a button, save them securely and quickly, and enter web pages with autofill. This means you don’t have to remember a lot of long and complicated passwords, making it easy to avoid reusing weak and identical passwords over and over again.

Conclude

The Internet is a dangerous place, and incognito is not protecting you. While it’s useful for keeping your browsing history safe from friends, family, and colleagues, incognito mode doesn’t prevent your data from being publicly available around the world.

If you want to stay safe on the web, the best thing you can do is invest in a VPN and a password manager. The combination of the two will keep your identity safe and significantly improve your password habits, meaning your account will be much harder to compromise.