As a result of recent events in Europe I began to think about anonymity on the web and while using its services. I started to meditate how to change IP address nowadays and what is the best way to hide IP address to be anonymous on the Net. In Germany they're considering a law that can be passed in the nearest future. Among others it states that from now Internet providers MUST give away their clients data to the investigating agencies. E.g. in the case the law is passed in 2008 all the information about Internet surfing, searches and crossings and even whole google.de users' correspondence will be among the data shown to the authorities by the Dutch department of Google.
Perhaps Europe will follow German and your and my security along with anonymity will be doubtful. On the one hand I agree that cheaters, thieves and other criminals are to be punished, but not to put person's privacy undecided. How to talk to your lover? How to evade your boss? How to write letters via email and messengers if you know somebody's reading them? I might be exaggerating but we have different interests and everyone uses the Internet on his own and each of us has what to hide from other people/colleagues/friends/wives/husbands/bosses etc.
Can it be we can do nothing but become the users of the 'closed' Internet like in CPR? For the past years China has been leading in the list of the nations practicing wide political Internet censorship. Cyber police team tracks and blocks resources disagreeable for the authorities within the framework of special government program - Great Firewall of China. And last week companies Yahoo China, MSN China and some others signed the Code assigned for their blog services which would oblige the companies 'to protect CPR and public interests' and to remove 'unordered and immoral messages' from online journals.
Tell me what you think about this and your opinion regarding the fact you will be watched.
Is it forbidden to visit the sites not concerned with your work while you are in the office? Is it ok to talk messengers?
So let's put everything to its place - what ways to stay anonymous on the net are available for us (we won't consider different variants using vpn/ssh tunnels, let's take account of mass usage thus the variants with exhausting tuning are thrown away) I suggest just 3 ways how to change IP address:
1. Software using proxy servers. I mean all traffic is passed through a proxy. 2. Software using ssh tunnel. It is a socks server to the remote server with an encoded channel. It can be used for http/mail/icq. 3. Software with encoded tunnel client < - > server with tcp/udp packages transmission. Based on this any program -http/mail/messenger/p2p/games/dns/etc - can run.
1. This software is often called hide ip/change ip/anonymous surfing. I will show you how it works. Surfing through the proxy server is anonymous for the remote server only.
E.g. go at google.com and it will see ip of our proxy server. On the one hand the program is performing its function - changing ip. But on the other - your admin/provider/boss can review all enquiries made with the help of software and the pages you visit. Moreover we cannot send a letter or write a massage anonymously as we know we are under Big Brother supervision. It appears from this such programs are suitable in the case you want to play a joke on your friends or you've been banned at a forum. This software doesn't match anonymity.
2. I haven't seen much simple and understandable services using ssh tunnel. This method enlarges the range of the program which can change ip address and even encodes all sent and received data.
For example, if you enter myspace.com or digg.com using ssh tunnel your boss/admin/provider won't be able to see this and read your messages. But there is a hitch - using ssh tunnel DNS enquiries are sent without being encoded 'cause it doesn't support udp protocol. Anonymity will be under the risk as domain you enter or domain you send email to are invisible. None would guess what you were doing at the site but they would know you were there. This software doesn't match anonymity too.
3. I have found this one lately, running vpn, paying for the separate server, its tuning and administration. And now I only press "Make me invisible" and all questions drop away.
Benefits of such software are prevalent from the others. Application running through the tunnel, tcp/udp support. Any p2p, games WOW3, icq application support. No need to customize browsers and programs - one button click and that's it. The only shortcoming is its speed. No matter what channel you have, your speed is decreased, but I ran a free version of it and I can't say for sure, maybe paid services don't have this limitation.
I checked all software I use and all of them run through the tunnel. If you wonder what soft it is, I will answer - http://www.smarthide.com I've got three invites for a free edition so contact me if you want one. =)