Here we are to discuss and debate the incognito mode and its role for our online browsing.
It is very normal not to be concerned about privacy breaches all the time. On the contrary, worrying about it too much is a sign you may lack trustworthy and practical tools. If you are interested in more details, here’s another good article on the topic.
As soon as you handle the ABC of informational security, it won’t trigger you into the loop of anxiety. So explore your trouble, know your enemy by face, and take an action. Just like Clark Kent does.
What is an Incognito Mode?
Incognito mode is a privacy feature offered by many web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. This mode allows users to browse the web without leaving any trace behind, such as cookies, history, or cached files. As a result, the user’s browsing experience is kept private and their IP address is not traced throughout the Web.
Incognito mode can be enabled by clicking on the right corner of the browser window and selecting “New Incognito Window” or “Private Browsing” from the drop-down menu. You can as well choose the option to go Incognito by default. See more tips in our special article.
What is a user IP address?
In case you are new to the digital security world, imagine a digital passport that identifies you on the internet. It identifies a street address for your computer, letting people know where to find you online. Whether you’re checking your email, shopping online, or watching a movie, your user IP address is the key that unlocks the door to the World Wide Web. Devices that have their own IP address include phones, computers, speakers, and GPS gadgets. IP addresses look pretty similar – each is a line of 4 numbers ranging from 0 to 255 and separated by periods.
An IP address might look like 178.108.7.232 or a similar combination of numbers.
Now let’s focus on how your IP address is connected to your browser’s safety.
Every website you visit has an IP address associated with it, and your browser uses IP to find and connect to the site. Browsers can use IP to detect if a website is malicious, and if so, the browser can block access to the website. This helps protect users from potential viruses, spyware, and other malicious content. The information is stored in the server’s logs, which can be used to track the user’s activity and analyze their browsing habits.
Why is safety needed while being online?
Each of us, Internet users, has a digital identity, constructed through our everyday browsing experiences. Your online activities attract a whole crowd of prying eyes: your internet service provider, search engines, websites you visit, and online advertising networks. These entities use a variety of methods to track your online activities, and the most common is tracking your IP address, browsing history, and using cookies.
Why is Incognito mode useful?
Isn’t it a bliss to look up funny cat videos without anyone knowing that you spent your entire afternoon watching them? Also, we can’t even count, how many relationships have been saved by the incognito mode.
People want to hide their online search for different reasons. Here are the most commonplace:
1. To prevent tracking of browsing history from unwanted spectators
2. To bypass content restrictions and censorship
3. To protect personal information from being shared
4. To hide IP addresses from websites
5. To access websites and services that are blocked in certain regions
6. To prevent targeted advertisem*nts
7. To purchase items anonymously
8. To test website functionality without affecting personal data
To sum up, what purposes Incognito tool works best for?
- It will make sure your browser history is erased alongside the search results. You will find this option useful while being in a public co-working space or sharing a device with another person.
- Incognito mode makes sure you leave no cookies after your session and deletes them automatically once you finish.
- With the fill-in information it may be tricky: whatever username, password, or ID data you put into an online form will remain on the server, yet will be deleted from the browser.
- If you make sure the website you use doesn’t track the IP and deletes the cookies in the incognito mode, you may get around the paid service and use it for free.
Does Incognito Mode Hide Your IP address?
In a nutshell – no, it doesn’t. It can hide your personal data from the eyes of strangers, but your IP addresses will still be seen by the websites you visit.
Let’s analyze some of the important reasons that make you wonder – does incognito mode hide IP or not.
1. Websites are Eavesdroppers
Once you start planning a trip, you are bound to face the website tracking. They count the number of times you visit every page, they wonder what travel styles you are interested in and soon they make correct assumptions about your likes and dislikes. It’s not a big surprise, how your tickets and bookings become more expensive once you start comparing the prices.
Yet web trackers are minor of the 3 security breach monsters.
2. Cybercriminals Hunt for the Open Data
These guys wreak havoc with your online data, like your credentials and banking information. Here are some tricks they use:
Phishing: A type of attack where an attacker attempts to gain access to sensitive information by pretending to be a legitimate entity or person.
IP Spoofing: An attack where an attacker sends packets with a false source IP address in order to gain access to a network.
In a man-in-the-middle attack as they intrude into your interaction with the bank without you even knowing.
SQL Injection Attack: An attack where malicious SQL code is injected into a vulnerable system in order to gain access to sensitive data.
Cybercriminals can make purchases in your name, access your accounts or hack your financial information. If you once access dark web, you may as well find your data there, on sale to some other hackers.
3. ISPs Have Eyes
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can easily violate your privacy and trace your web traffic back to you and after – provide your information to third-party companies, government entities included. Breaking into the ISP user records is not a problem for a skilled hacker. Lastly, your ISP may throttle your internet connection if you are using up too much bandwidth.
With this many curious eyes on you, your online IP address is better be well-hidden. The sad part is, however, incognito mode can’t safeguard your anonymity.
Can you hide your IP address if you use a popular browser?
The Incognito mode of a regular browser is a simple disguise to stay unknown. This can be especially helpful when searching for sensitive information, or when using a public computer.
While specialized browsers build their whole infrastructure around safety, the incognito mode, used on a popular browser, only erases the browsing history. They still keep all the data about your websites visits, so incognito mode is not a substitute for a private browser.
Does Chrome incognito hide your IP-address?
As much as Google Chrome promises by its looks, please, don’t take it as a privacy lifehack! It is head over heels in your personal stuff – your IP address, online activities, cookies, and site data are fully visible to Chrome. You can use many of the extensions and plug-ins, but they are not the company’s own technology, so again – they promise more than they do.
How does private browsing hide IP address?
Private browsers are designed with the concern for user safety and security, so they usually involve a range of branded technologies to hide personal info. We wrote some words about it before. Let’s name some, Sidekick browser offers to its users:
Adblock. A classic tool for any private browser, but this one is also super powerful and prevents you from any unwanted distractions.
Fingerprints off! An intrinsic algorithm randomizes data used by fingerprinting algorithms. Hence, every request looks like it’s coming from a different browser, making it very difficult to correlate your visits to different sites and build your behavioral profile. Consequently, they have a hard time building a device fingerprint on you.
In Sidekick Teams subscription, Virtual Private Network (VPN) conceals your IP address. And it is changed so often that tracking you is nearly impossible.
Additionally, Sidekick comes with a set of unique features to help you concentrate on your work and keep your attention free from unwanted ads and other Internet trash. And compared to specialized safety browsers like Tor it is an incredibly fast solution.
What are the alternatives to the incognito mode?
Private Browsing Mode: Many web browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge, offer a private browsing mode, which is similar to Incognito mode but with a few differences.
Security Software: Security software such as antivirus, anti-malware, and firewalls can be used to ensure your online activity is anonymized and encrypted, masking your online identity.
Virtual Private Networks (VPN): A VPN is a service that allows you to tunnel your internet traffic through an encrypted connection to a remote server, masking your true IP address and allowing you to appear as if you are accessing the internet from a different location.
Sidekick Browser: this is a web browser designed for safe and purposeful web browsing making it difficult to trace your IP address. And it’s also incredibly fast.
Proxy Servers: Proxy servers are another way to mask your IP address, allowing you to browse the internet anonymously. A proxy server acts as an intermediary between your computer and the websites you visit, routing your traffic through a different IP address.
What are the working ways to improve your confidentiality?
You don’t have to be ok with scattering your IP everywhere around the net as an Easter bunny. And you don’t need to be too concerned with whatever does Incognito. Hide IP address with all the smart options available to you almost free of charge.
1. Use strong passwords: The use of strong passwords is essential for protecting your confidential data. A strong password should include a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Generate passwords that you have a personal attachment to, so that they could be both long and easy to remember. Try to avoid using common words or phrases that can be easily guessed.
2. Use encryption: Encryption is a method of scrambling your data so that only those with the correct key can view it. There are various types of encryption, such as public-key encryption, symmetric-key encryption, and hashing.
3. Implement two-factor authentication (2FA): Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your account by requiring two separate forms of authentication. This could be a password and a code sent to your phone, or a code generated by an authentication app.
4. Limit access to confidential data: Limit access to confidential data by using user accounts with different levels of permission. This ensures that only those with the correct permission can access the data.
5. Update security measures regularly: Regularly update your security measures to ensure they are up-to-date and effective. Make sure you are using the latest version of your software and operating systems, and that updates are applied regularly.
6. Use a Proxy. While the cybercriminal can be an invisible man-in-the-middle for you and your bank, a proxy is just a middleman sitting between your computer and the destination you’re trying to reach via the internet. The proxy server simply exchanges the incoming IP address of yours for a random IP address of its own. Please beware of ISP and opt for a paid proxy that will prevent you from landing on a malicious server.
