Protect your identity when you're on the Internet.

When you're surfing the Web at work, there's a good chance someone's watching you. As you've seen in my Iris project, it's easy to snoop on websites, email messages, and instant messaging conversations.

Many "hackers" and work surfers get caught because they don't understand the inner workings of the Internet. Once you understand how people get caught, you'll find it easier to avoid getting caught.

Joe Worker
Joe's obsessed with sports -- so much so that he spends a good amount of his workday checking scores and player stats.

What Joe doesn't know is that his employer monitors all incoming and outgoing Web traffic though the company's switch. Every time Joe connects to a website, the packets of information are being recorded by packet-sniffing software such as Iris.

Joe's boss approaches him about the sites he has been visiting, presenting him with a stack of printouts showing the requested information and websites being sent to his computer.

Joe's busted.

Avoid the bust

Here's what Joe's computer setup and Internet connection looks like:

Joe's computer <--> network switch with Iris <--> website

The network switch uses Iris to capture all of Joe's unencrypted Web traffic.

By using a proxy, Joe could have kept his boss from busting him. A proxy is a server that requests a webpage on your behalf and then deliveries it to your machine. A standard proxy wouldn't have helped Joe, because the unencrypted webpage would still have been captured by Iris.

Joe needs to use an encrypted proxy. An encrypted proxy makes network data indecipherable to packet-capturing software such as Iris.

There are encrypted proxies on the Web. I highly recommend Anonymizer.com, which has a free service. Its pay service has many added features and is much faster. Another great tool is NetSpy, which lists and rates free anonymous proxy servers.

When using a service such as Anonymizer, your Internet connection changes.

Joe's computer with Anonymizer <--> network switch with Iris <--> Anonymizer service <--> website

Joe sends an encrypted request for his sports site, which contacts Anonymizer.com. Anonymizer.com then encrypts the webpage and sends it back to his computer, which decrypts it in real time. Iris captured all of this, but since the data is encrypted, none of it is legible.

Don't hack with it
For surfing from work, Anonymizer works great, but don't even consider it for hacking. Consider plugging a USB network card into a library or school computer and then sitting in the parking lot with your laptop. Never break the law. And hack for knowledge, not for destruction.

Anonym

You can also use Steganos Internet Anonym. Not only does Anonym allow you to surf anonymously, it also stops pop-ups. Here's a list of Anonym's other features.
  • Tracks proxy server changes
  • Password protects your bookmarks
  • Web cam anonymization


Anonym is $29. A pro version with more features is available for $49.

Your bright ideas
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