How to achieve maximum anonymity on the internet?

[Adolfa]

Hey guys i was recently read some articles about how we are so vulnerable on the internet and how are systems might be giving out more information than necessary without our knowledge.I just wanted to find out if i can install any software's or take any particular steps to protect myself much better than i am right now.How do i ensure maximum anonymity on the internet??What is the kind of information about me that gets out there?

[Spyrus]

You can do a variety of things that can be considered good practices to secure your identity and increase your anonymity on the internet.Turning off flash,java,javascript unless really necessary are some good measures provided one is willing to live without them.Having no add-ons is a good way too of ensuring your privacy.The posts you make on various places are always cached on the servers for example google servers which basically leaves a trail about you.

[Milton.J]

You can use a software called Tor which makes the trail of its users muddy as in it ensures your privacy is guarded by bouncing your activity on the internet all over the world on a network of servers making it hard to learn what all websites you visit or what you browse on the internet.The downside of this software is its slow performance over the network and considering how many people are paranoid about their privacy its network should be congested.You can use proxies which basically shield your original IP address from suspicious websites should you visit them.

[Snake08]

Well Tor can be used along with a couple of other software's which are not as popular though.Tor basically encrypts all your traffic going through the ISP and the Tor exit node.This security is breached only if you accidentally reveal some information because of flash/java generated requests.Traffic patterns can be analyzed as well.Tor doesn't hide your traffic but just hides your origin,remember that.Lots of anonymous proxy websites are there which you can use should you decide which can help you remain anonymous while surfing the internet,but even then your IP address still can be found out.

[Big Fish]

Well with regular activity on the internet like a normal user you give out a lot of information.You give out your location,internet service provider's name,their location,your internet protocol address,the browser you are using with its versions,if you clicked on a link from somewhere then the name of the referrer and so on.As you can see visiting a simple website itself gives away so much basic information.With a proxy server basically,you connect to the middle server(proxy) and it retrieves whatever website or data you wish to browse or view.There are lots of proxy websites but be aware that not all sites will be secure and some might be malicious too.

[Shen]

Thanks a lot for the recommendation about Tor guys,i was looking for a software to ensure my privacy on the internet.I am very much in need of it because i am always worried about my financial transactions on the internet and hence want to take enough measure to ensure my complete security.Hopefully these posts will guide more people looking for a way to remain anonymous on the internet.