Why Private Browsing Doesn't Exist

WHY PRIVATE BROWSING DOESN'T EXIST (AND HOW TO FIX IT) 000 Digital fingerprinting occurs when the websites you visit piece together information about your browser and previous sites you've visited. The information is valuable to advertisers. This tactic has been around since at least 2009, and collects a variety of information about you and your computer. FINGERPRINT UNIQUENESS Browsers that support Java or Flash are worse, Picking samples at random indicates that one in 18. 1bits 286,777 providing about 18.8 bits of identifying information. other browsers will share Only 94.2% of browsers using Java and Flash were unique. its fingerprint. A study done by Electronic Frontier Foundation found that each fingerprint averages about 18.1 bits of identifying information. 5.8% were not unique. Out of Out of the 8,833 browsers who 470,161 browsers visited the test website multiple times in 24 hours, 34.7% had at least one fingerprint change. 83.6% tested for the study, only 83.6% had an instantaneously unique fingerprint. The algorithm was able to guess most of the changes, guessing 99.1% of the changes. HOW EASILY YOU CAN IDENTIFY SOMEONE BY BROWSER CONFIGURATION Websites can collect the following information about your browser configuration: User Agent: Browser Plugin Details: Time Zone: What type of computer you're using, and the browsers installed on your system The plugins your browser supports, such as Flash and Java What time zone your computer is set to Aa O. Screen Size and System Fonts: Cookie Status: Color Depth: How big your computer screen is and how many colors it can see The fonts installed Whether or not cookies are on your computer enabled on your browser WHAT MAKES IT EASIER TO BLEND INTO THE CROWD? To minimize your identity via your browser's fingerprint: Use a system configuration that many others use. Clear your cache and cookies each time you close your browser. Disable JavaScript and Flash. Be aware that many websites will not function unless these Windows 7 is the most widely used operating things are enabled. Windows 7 system in the world. Don't install other fonts and browser plugins. JavaScript Use Anonymizer to keep your online activities private. Anonymizer creates an encrypted VPN link between </> your computer and their servers. Whatever you do on the Internet goes through Anonymizer first, then comes out of a random IP address. Install the NoScript extension on Firefox to control which scripts are allowed to run. Anonymizer works with Android, Linux, iOS, Mac and Windows. Some websites may not function when certain scripts are blocked. DOES “PRIVATE BROWSING" PROVIDE PRIVACY? Using your browser's "private" browsing feature doesn't provide the privacy you think it might. history cookies It hides your browsing history, cookies, etc. from people who physically sit down at your computer. password username cache It does not: Hide the files you've downloaded Prevent websites from Prevent you from becoming susceptible to web based attacks seeing your IP address Hide searches or any other data you enter into a website Prevent you from being tracked Browser add-ons and plugins may affect the privacy of private browsing. Private browsing provides secrecy, not security. It will not stop you from leaving a digital fingerprint. Panopticlick Use the Panopticlick Tool from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to see how unique and trackable your browser fingerprint is. How Unique - and Trackable – Is Your Browser? Find out: 10 11 00 0 10|1|1|1 010011 Aa How many bits of identifying information your browser is sending Details of the browser Details of the system fonts installed on your computer plugins you're using Your time zone Your screen size and Whether or not cookies are color depth enabled on your system SOURCES alademie.dw.de, panopticlick.eff.org, techradar.com, pcworld.com, out-law.com anonymizer.com WholsHostingThis? LELE