The internet commonly provides a false sense of anonymity, whereas there is only pseudo-anonymity for most users. Pretty much everyone is identifiable online by their IP address, a unique identifier assigned to you by your internet service provider (ISP).

However, there are tools that can help you mask your actual IP address and provide an additional layer of protection for your online identity. This can be achieved with the use of Tor Browser or Virtual Private Network (VPN) services.

Tor Browser is a free and open-source software customised to work with the Tor network, based on Mozilla Firefox, which encrypts your browsing traffic and the site you’re accessing from your internet provider, and hides your IP address from the website you’re visiting. It is also particularly useful for accessing blocked websites on your network. There are some drawbacks, however, as the Tor network provides generally slow internet speeds and users’ identity can be exposed if they do not use Tor Browser properly.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service that enables users to connect to the public internet through a private network, providing an additional encrypted layer of privacy and masking the users’ actual IP address. Even though it helps you stay more private from the ISP and (implicitly) the government while browsing the internet, a VPN connection does not protect you from other dangers lurking online, such as malware, social engineering, or spyware. There are many VPN providers, but users should still take note and be aware of possible security aspects such as:

• Jurisdiction, i.e. in which country is the company providing VPN services based. Understand the jurisdiction in which the VPN provider and their infrastructure is based and whether this poses a legal risk for you;
• No logs policy, meaning that the VPN provider doesn’t log your internet traffic made through their network;
• Regularly performed independent security audits, which are usually documented on the VPN provider’s website;
• Price, as some VPN services can be quite expensive. Be wary of “completely free” VPN apps, though, as their business model is almost certainly based on tracking users. However, some paid service providers offer free plans with limited possibilities, such as lower speeds and a smaller number of servers.