Anonymisers are programmes that conceal your identity when you use the internet.
Put simply, every action on the internet is based on the exchange of data. When you visit a webpage, you request data. If you see the page, that data has been sent to you. For this to happen, the destination of that data must be known. This information is already automatically included in your request – the act of visiting a webpage. As a result, every action leaves a digital trail that can be traced back to you.
Anonymisers break this data trail. They reroute data traffic via one or more intermediary servers. This server then loads the page you want on your behalf, and the relevant data is sent to it. The data trail can therefore only be traced back to this server – provided the anonymiser you have chosen is trustworthy.
Anonymisers are available in the form of software and as online services.
However, many websites do not accept data or requests from well-known online anonymisers. This is because anonymisers are often used to post negative, offensive or even criminal comments on forums, guestbooks, review sites and so on.
For journalists and human rights activists, anonymisers can be vital for protecting themselves and their colleagues from persecution. For this reason, some of them also use the darknet, where data traffic cannot be traced. Criminals use anonymisers to evade law enforcement.
You probably don’t come across anonymisers very often. Users who conceal their identity using an anonymiser may be spreading negative content about your company – for example, poor reviews or even lies regarding your products, services or employer qualities. The use of anonymisers may be advisable if there is a suspicion that your company is being specifically targeted, for example as part of an Advanced Persistent Threat. In this case, proceed after consulting your IT department and, if necessary, an external IT security service provider such as Perseus.
Valora siempre cuidadosamente el uso de los anonimizadores: por un lado, al utilizarlos evitas dejar rastros de datos que puedan rastrearse hasta ti. Por otro lado, en última instancia, estás confiando esos rastros de datos al anonimizador en cuestión. En la mayoría de los casos, debe confiar en que el anonimizador realmente anonimiza sus datos y en que su sistema no está infectado por malware. Una alternativa a los anonimizadores puede ser una VPN, una red privada virtual. Actualmente, muchos programas antivirus ofrecen esta función.
