Tips to Avoid Leaving Tracks on the Internet

Many people are quite paranoid to leave their data online. Our browsers are full of cookies. The applications you have on your cell phone have access to your location as well. No matter what email service you use, all of them archive way too much. Still, all of us are aware of these obvious places. There is a lot more we do not know yet.

You might be wondering that the fear of leaving the digital footprint and your digital DNA is limited to raving paranoids. In reality, every single one of us should be concerned. Spammers, identity thieves, and hackers use these leaks. You might be wondering that you will have to take radical steps to prevent any unforeseeable incident. However, you don’t have to worry about anything.

You can be safe and secure online by following simple steps. The good thing is that many internet service providers are already monitoring this situation and offering additional security perks to secure their customers. For example, all Spectrum packages have a free security-suite to save you from the security threats online.

If you do not have such an internet provider, follow the simple steps mentioned in the article. We came up with a comprehensive guide featuring all the tips to avoid leaving tracks on the internet.  Let’s begin!

Frequently use the Incognito Mode

This is probably the simplest and easiest way to surf the internet without leaving your digital footprint. Every browser has an incognito or private mode. While using this mode, your browsing history is not saved to the browser’s log. This is the reason why when you accidentally close a tab on Chrome’s Incognito mode, you cannot bring it back. The browser forgets about it once you close it.

This is true for all searches and most importantly, your browser does not even store any cookies. Cookies are little files that advertisers and websites use to monitor your activity on the web.

We do not live in a perfect world and there is one catch. For websites like Amazon, Google, and Facebook, the incognito mode is the same as the regular mode. They will record your activities. For example, if you sign in to Amazon using the private mode and search for any product. You will see the same product next time you sign in even on the regular browser.

Get a Virtual Private Network

There are multiple reasons why getting a Virtual Private Network or VPN can help you stay secure. You pretend that you are accessing the internet from a different country. It is a great way of covering your digital footprint online. A VPN is always preferred over the incognito mode. While the incognito mode hides what you are doing online on your device, VPN hides it from everyone else, may it be your broadband provider or the government.

How does a VPN work? It masks your IP with the IP of the host VPN. As a result, your identity is secured. Moreover, many VPNs have a no-logs policy. This means that no record of your browser is kept permanently. There are many options available in the market. You don’t have to purchase a VPN software. Just download the ones available for free. They get the job done.

Clear Browsing History Frequently

Another simple solution to avoid leaving tracks on the internet is retroactively making your browser forget your history. If you are an Apple user, click on history and then Clear History. The dialogue box will clear your browser’s memory. You can change it to the past hour, past 48 hours, or from the beginning of time.

If you are using Chrome, click on the three dots present on the top right corner. Click on Settings. You will see the option of Clear browsing data.  Click on the option and it will delete your browsing history. You get to choose whether you want to delete it from the beginning, or for the past hour. The good thing about the Chrome browser is that you can clear your cookies following this step as well.

Never Accept Cookies

Whenever you visit a website, the server prompts you to accept cookies. For example, if you are looking for bags on a website. You will notice that your social media and other apps will feature various stores selling bags. How does this happen? The short answer is cookies. With the help of these cookies, social media apps understand your likes and dislikes. Therefore, they bombard you with ads of all the things you want to purchase.

To solve this dilemma, just do not accept any cookies. Even if you have to, go on the app settings. Click on the App data and clear cookies frequently. This will save you some space and maintain the integrity of your online presence.

Get some Add-ons for your Browser

This is the last resort you may want to take. These add-ons bring some serious privacy to the web browser. These add-ons give you maximum protection and work more or less like a VPN. The add-on bounces your web browsing around different servers in the world. As a result, it becomes to link the activity back to you. Many add-ons encrypt your location as well. The websites asking for your location are blocked straight away.

Final Verdict

Follow these simple steps and you will avoid leaving your digital footprint. The internet is not a safe space so we should take some extra steps to avoid any misfortune.