Anonymizer Anonymous Surfing Review

Why Surf Anonymously

There are a number of reasons why Internet users prefer to anonymously surf the web. Most people do not understand how vulnerable using the Internet can be. Every time you visit a website, you are exposed to targeting and data collection by a number of agencies: federal authorities, search engines, online marketing groups. You may be watched, or your movements can be tracked throughout the internet. Web savvy persons and online advertisers can identify your operating system and determine what internet browser you use. They can uncover what websites you have visited, inspect your web history, and identify your IP address (which gives them your location as well as other personal computer information).

How the Software Works

Anonymizer Anonymous Surfing works by virtue of a proxy server established between the user and the web site intended for use. Under normal conditions (without the software), when a website is accessed by a user’s computer, that computer is identified by the website. The process is a sort of dialogue between the two: it represents a “request to access the site” by your computer’s web browser and a “granting of permission to use” by the website’s server. Part of this initial request, then, is that the computer be identified as the user-agent.

This dialogue changes, however, when Anonymous Surfing’s own proxy-style service is used to surf the website. It is the proxy server that requests to access the site, not your computer. Your computer’s web browser will talk to the proxy server first, but it is the proxy server that then talks to the web site you want to view. As a result, the web site does not identify your computer as the user-agent; it instead identifies the anonymous proxy server.

The Good

Anonymizer Anonymous Surfing is extremely user friendly. The software can be enabled at the click of a button and instantly hides your IP address without having to modify any default settings. It works with all Internet browsers, even protecting the data you send over wireless networks, automatically. By routing your internet traffic through the Anonymizer proxy servers, Anonymous Surfing protects your computer against Host file and DNS cache poisoning. The software similarly protects your computer from phishing websites by notification when you attempt to visit one. It also protects you from spyware websites as well. The software’s Digital Shredder Lite program will clean your browser history and cache files as well. All of this protection is packaged together with the Anonymous Surfing software in conjunction with a relatively low-cost yearly subscription service.

The Bad

Anonymizer Anonymous Surfing does have a few downfalls. The software’s Digital Shredder Lite program that cleans your browser history and cache files can not handle international file names. It assumes that all file names should have roman characters. Therefore, the program is ineffective for multi-lingual applications. Fortunately the software’s subscription service includes free customer support. However, even this has had its problems. Many customers have complained that it takes several attempts to reach a live person for assistance. And on some reported occasions, a customer service request email has been returned as “undeliverable”.