Among many other techniques, websites
can use cookies to track your browsing history, which may also reveal your online habits.
Beyond the use of cookies, you may be tracked throughDNS records or
by your system administrator. An incognito window will help against some
threats but is useless against others.
How incognito mode works
The incognito window or private browser will
open a new window that behaves like a freshly installed browser on a new
computer. There are no cookies, no bookmarks, no saved searches, and no
pre-filled forms. Every time you close the incognito window, all the
information the browser collected will be deleted.
This, unfortunately, does not stop others from
collecting information about you.
Incognito mode will prevent cookies from identifying you
When you visit a website, embedded scripts
will place a small file called a cookie on your computer. This
cookie can, when you visit the site again, be read by the site and used to
identify you.
This can be useful, as it allows you to stay
logged in even after your computer is rebooted, and quickly lets you share news
on any social media accounts.
However, cookies also let social media
companies (and the NSA) track you across sites. For example, social media sites let
news organizations embed snippets of code that show how often an article has
been shared.
These snippets also feed back information
about which sites you’ve visited, and which articles you’ve been reading. This
gathered data can be used to feed you targeted advertisements or identify your
religious, political, or sexual preferences.
How to stop cookies tracking you
1.
Disable third-party
cookies and consider deleting cookies every time you restart your browser
3.
Use an incognito
window to open sites and articles that you do not wish to be connected to your
regular browsing or purchasing habits
Incognito mode will help protect against browser fingerprinting
Cookies are still the number one method for
collecting information online, but browserfingerprinting has
become increasingly popular.
With browser fingerprinting, the website you
visit will gather information about your browser, the fonts you have installed,
and the add-ons or browser extensions you use. This information could be enough
to detect you, even if you’re careful about your privacy.
Browser fingerprinting is more of a
probability score than an exact match for who’s who on the internet, but it
does work and is hard to defend against. Check out EFF’s Panopticlick to see what browser fingerprinting looks like
in action.
SEE ALSO: Download WizyTechs VPN
How to limit the effectiveness of browser
fingerprinting
1.
To avoid
fingerprinting, run a popular browser that uses no default fonts or extensions,
like the Tor Browser
2.
Be careful with
extensions, as some extensions are detectable by the sites you visit. The ExpressVPN Chrome Extension is safe
to use even in incognito mode.
Incognito mode will stop family members snooping on your computer
If somebody else, like a family member or
flatmate, has access to your computer, an incognito window can help you hide
certain activity (like buying a birthday present) from them. In fact, it is
probably a much better option than deleting your history altogether, which
might raise unnecessary suspicion.
Incognito mode won’t stop people tracking you with your DNS records
Every time you visit a website, like ExpressVPN.com, your browser will have to obtain the site’s
IP address. The browser will ask a DNS server “what is the IP address of
expressvpn.com.” The DNS server then responds with the correct answer, allowing
you to connect to the ExpressVPN website.
However, the DNS server may record your
queries and sell them to advertisers or pass them on to law enforcement.
By default, your DNS service is supplied by
your Internet Service Provider, but it can be changed to one maintained byGoogle. There are also free
DNS services that promise not to pass on your information, such as OpenNIC.
VPN providers like ExpressVPN also maintain
their own DNS service, which comes included with a VPN subscription. ExpressVPN does not keep logs and
does not pass on any information to advertisers.
Minimize the threat from DNS tracking:
Incognito mode won’t stop system administrators at work or school from tracking
you
If you use public Wi-Fi or connect to
your school or work network, the administrator can see every site you visit.
For sites not encryptedwith HTTPS, they are even able
to see the contents of the site and all information you exchange with it.
Incognito windows will not protect you from
system admins.
Minimize the threat of system admins tracking
you
Be careful if the computer you are using is
not yours (such as a computer at school or work). The owner of these devices
may have installed other tracking software that will collect information even
if you use a VPN or Tor.
Great reasons to open an incognito window
·
Hide your browsing
history from others using your computer
·
Hide browsing habits
from advertisers
·
Avoid browser
fingerprinting
SEE ALSO: New IP For Using VPN
Make use of the incognito window when it makes
sense! It’s a great tool that will help you maintain control over your own
data. Use the Tor Browser anda VPN connection to
shield against intruders, and use your own devices whenever possible.
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