Is your privacy important to you? Probably. What you might not know is that your privacy is at risk every time you connect to the internet. Now I don't want this to sound like one of those conspiracy theory 'the government is watching you!' type warnings, but from a technical standpoint, it's true. There are some serious risks you take when you connect to the internet using your real IP address (your online ID). Private web surfing is not just for perverts and psychos - perfectly normal people who want to surf the internet knowing that their private data stays that way can make use of this software.

Why you need privacy online

Ok, so lets establish why you need privacy online before talk about how to actually do it.

Have you ever been reading a newspaper or magazine on the bus and some guy next to you or behind you starts reading with you? Do you feel uncomfortable?

Has the checkout lady ever commented on the stuff you were buying at the grocery store? Did you feel a bit annoyed, and that it was none of her businesses?

Have you gone to the doctor, had a colleague or friend ask why, and then told them it was just for a checkup even though it was for something else?

These are all examples of how we want to keep strangers, friends, and acquaintances out of our private life. What we don't realize is that when we surf the internet, this type of information is exposed.

For example, if you sign up for a forum online and use your email address, that is a footprint that can lead back to you. Does your email have your real name attached to it in some way? Could someone search for your name or email address and find out you're a member of that forum? Do you keep a blog with similar type of information in the 'contact me' area of your blog?

Online Privacy Software

Maybe you don't participate in online communities and just browse and download. Still, all that information is being sent through your ISP, who's keep records of it. Sure, they might not care about your foot fungus or smoking habits, but your employer might. Your government might. Now, most of the time that information is not available, but there are conditions in which it might be. Does a potential employer do a background check on new employees? What can they find out about you on the internet just by doing a Google search? I'd bet that most governments have policies in place that allow them to seize ISP severs if they think a certain IP address could be a 'national threat'.

And that's not even talking about the tracking devices that advertisers use to try to get you to click on and buy more stuff. The point is that you leave footprints wherever you go, and if you're not extremely careful, chances are that there's information available about you that you didn't know existed.

How to get privacy online

The best way for private web surfing is to use a virtual private network. This is a type of software that can be downloaded onto your phone or computer, and doesn't need any extra hardware to work. It is possible to use a VPN router to make an entire network private, but for the most part, an individual user and even multiple users on 1 network will do just find with the downloaded version.

It's basically a private network of servers that's used to block out outsiders. You use a 'VPN tunnel' connection to the VPN servers, where a virtual IP address is assigned to you, and then you use the fake IP address to surf the internet. You real IP stays hidden, and the virtual IP is used as a front man to your online activities. Anyone who tries to find out more about you is blocked by data encryption, which you'll see written as IPSec, SSL, or SSH.

For privacy on phones like iPhone and Android, you can use L2TP/IPSec VPN. What it is, is a bit complicated, but it's the most secure form of privacy for you smartphone. On laptops, you can use OpenVPN/SSL. Most VPN services will have these two VPNs, plus something called PPTP. You'll notice that some services offer discounts for PPTP, so it's no wonder that PPTP is a bit outdated. Still, it's popular for users who are looking to bypass firewalls and unblock sites rather than full privacy online. Users looking for invisibility online however, should still stick with L2TP and OpenVPN.

The great thing about VPNs when compared to other forms of privacy tools available online is that they encrypt and tunnel all of your online data - not just your browsing session. This makes virtual private networks popular with users that want to stream TV from foreign websites, call using VOIP software, businesses with employees overseas, and even online gamers.