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In today’s world of globalization and wide spread of computers, Internet has become increasingly popular way for communication, for expressing yourself, for sharing your mind with everybody. Popular types of resources include web blogs, instant messaging, chats, forums and many others. Just a few clicks and everybody in the world knows about your point of view on politics, culture, science, relationships, whatever, since quickly evolving technologies bring Internet to millions of people around the world.

But no good comes without bad. The worst thing to consider about many modern technologies such as Internet is a complete lack of privacy. Sitting at the front of your computer screen and surfing the net you are being watched constantly, by many people and organizations, interested or not. How is it possible? Let’s see.

Internet is based on IP - Internet Protocol - special network protocol designed at the beginning of 70s for U.S. defense purposes, but has become widely used solution today (take a look at http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml for more information). Basically, most today’s computers are connected by IP, and its extension, TCP/IP. We will not dive into details of TCP/IP here, but rather give a short explanation and point to major privacy concerns. Main idea of IP protocol is a set of independent nodes (computers) connected somehow between themselves, each node has unique identifier assigned to it, and special rules exists which help computers exchange data with each other through intermediate computers, called “IP routers”. The unique identifier is called IP address, and every networked computer must have it in order communicate to others. To view your current IP address, run “ipconfig” from command line under Windows, or open web site like www.netconceal.com or www.showmyip.com.

Ok, but what’s wrong with my IP address? Like a regular address (e.g. your postal address), IP address identifies your location, no matter how you are connected to the Internet. For example, DSL connection from your home is managed by ISP (remember, you have to sign agreement with ISP, and your actual and billing addresses are there). Wireless connections, such as GPRS or WiFi are being tracked as well (GPRS stations are able to determine your position with a mile precision, WiFi are even more location-bound), and service providers always register and identify you as a subscriber. Try web sites like www.ip2location.com to see this in practice (the information is not exactly precise in all cases, but remember, technology improves daily!).

Every time you surf the Internet, your IP address is publicly visible to everyone on target network resources, therefore, your actual location and even name and age can be tracked as well. Of course, this costs something (they need to contact web site owner or hosting provider, and ISP or WiFi access point owner), but interested parties can implement this fairly easy. This is very serious point to consider. For example, you submit blog article, and express your opinion about politics, criticize something or make really controversial statements. That’s was just an opinion, relax, everybody. But someone, being, for example, a religious fanatic or simply paranoid, can find you and shoot you right at your home. What’s the hell, why? That’s true, simply because he knows EVERYTHING about you, your IP address, and thus your name and physical location, since all web sites keep logs of IP addresses accessing them (once you submit your post, web site records a number of entries in its log file, putting together your post and your IP address).

Just for demonstration, 4 simple steps to know everything about specific person:

1. Retrieve web site logs (not a problem for site owners, they already have them). How can these logs be retrieved by anyone? Simply by contacting web site owner, and many of them will give theirs logs away with easyness, don’t worry. Just send e-mail using published contact information (click link like “Contact Us”), write words like: “Some guy who is using your site is suspected in credit card fraud, he has stolen my money already!”, or “The person with nickname ‘blackjack’ from your site is promoting child porn, we need your web site logs for investigation, thank you.” and 99% - you’ll receive desired logs.

2. Analyze logs. For example, get timestamp of specific blog post and search for records matching this timestamp, then compare URLs of web site request and extract IP address from log entries.

3. Obtain IP address owner (the Internet Service Provider, ISP). Use www.ip2location.com, it displays ISP. For well-known ISPs like Verizon - you’re almost done. Otherwise try looking it up in Google and find their web site. Half an hour and you’ll surely find it.

4. Contact ISP, supply IP address, and say something like you did in step (1), and they’ll easily reveal user of their IP address, because they don’t want problems with that user. That’s it.

Is there any way to protect you against this? Relax, really good solution exist and the rest of this article will point you right there.

Basic idea of all privacy solutions is faking of your real IP address. How is it accomplished? Solution is based on intermediary computers, which are placed between you (the person who wishes to hide himself from everyone) and target web sites (and other network resources - such as instant messaging, file sharing etc). Those computers are called ‘Proxy Servers’. How does Proxy Server work? Very simple: it’s just like a very simple tunnel between you and web site, all data sent by you to web site or received by you from web site are passed through proxy server as is, using special SOCKS protocol (don’t mess with foot socks, it’s just a coincidence :). What’s the difference? Exactly, target web site sees Proxy Server IP address, but not your real IP. And web site logs keep Proxy Server IP but not your real one as well. Sound great, but how to use this?

Anonymous Proxy Server lists are published throughout the web on special web sites, for example www.proxyblind.org. Actually, proxy server list looks like a simple sequence of IP address : port number pairs, for example:

123.43.12.96 : 1080

98.15.13.17 : 1080

150.19.87.31 : 1080

Choosing proper Proxy Server from such lists can be a tedious task, some of them may be valid, and some are not. You just test them one by one, select valid ones and save them for further usage. This work must be repeated each time you want to use proxy, since Proxy Servers get closed very often.
After choosing proper Proxy Server, you have to connect your application (web browser, instant messenger, whatever) to it and work. Try configuring your application for use with proxy server. For example, MSN, Yahoo! and ICQ support SOCKS proxies, but some programs do not. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Firefox web browsers also support this, but you must select another kind of Proxy Server - HTTP proxy (in opposite to SOCKS proxy).

Special software was developed to address the issues listed above - NetConceal Anonymizer, it keeps you free from manual proxy server checking, SOCKS configuration and supports ALL applications. Actually, a few clicks to hide IP address and become anonymous.

Download NetConceal Anonymizer (http://www.netconceal.com/download.php) now and try it.
Once the installation is done, NetConceal Anonymizer is started automatically, now click the ‘Launch Web Browser’ or ‘Launch Other…’ buttons. Proxy selection is done within a minute, then application is started and you can use the Internet fully anonymous, since your real IP is invisible to everyone. Too good to be true? Please try it before criticizing.

To learn more about NetConceal Anonymizer software, check out the www.netconceal.com web site and contact us if you need more help, we are really glad to help you with evaluation and ongoing usage.

Read related topics about anonymity and Internet privacy - http://www.netconceal.com/articles.php.

NetConceal Inc. was established in the beginning of 2005 as software company concentrated in online privacy and Internet security solutions for personal and corporate customers. We have a long term plan to become a major provider in those areas of IT industry. The first product, NetConceal Anonymizer, was released in May 2005. It will be followed by many state of the art online privacy and innovative Internet security solutions.

NetConceal means “network conceal”, it hides and secures you within public and private network. And we beleive that everyone has the right to stay anonymous and secure, in this age of globalization and complete surveillance. Maintain Online Privacy with Internet Security Solution NetConceal Anonymizer!

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If you are looking for effective spyware and adware protection, you can always look online to check out some of the most effective anti-spyware and adware tools available for you. There are a number of software companies who have dedicated their resources to develop more effective and more sophisticated programs to provide you with the best anti-spyware and adware protection for your PC. Your anti-spyware options are far too numerous to list here and we should stick to the ones where it is run and monitored by one person and that person alone.

What you should install on your PC is Anti-Spyware software as it will locate and destroy any Spyware that if finds on your computer. There are also a number of programs that claim to be anti-spyware that do not work. Worse these programs actually add more spyware to your system. Data loggers, key loggers are just a few programs which harvest info from your computer. Winclear is the only program created specially to auto remove such spywares. Until you remove the malicious software from your computer your account is still vulnerable. That is why every computer owner needs winclear.

Protect With Winclear :Where Is Internet History Saved
There are many pedophiles, drug pushers, and sexual predators that are always on the look out for easy to deceive preys, particularly children, on the Internet. Hence, as parents we need to monitor the computer and Internet activities of our underage sons and daughters 24/7. We need to ascertain that their use of this tool will help their studies, build healthy relationships and discover their talents. Winclear is the only software which is capable of removing keylogger programs. 1 technology had brought a lot to our life. Winclear has been the industry leader in fighting keyloggers for the last 8 years.

Winclear:
One big mistake of PC owners is the constant seeking for “best antivirus”. That is the reason why you need Winclear installed onto your computer. Some forms of spyware immobilize antivirus and firewall software thereby reducing the user’s security setting leading to further infections by several viruses. Protect your computer security by using Winclear! More about Winclear here: Winclear Reviews.

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Many people when they first start determining whether or not they have a need or desire for spy gear wonder if it is legal. After all, spy gear is used to do a great many things, include investigate information that others would like to keep private. Such a use might suggest that purchasing spy equipment is illegal. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Even though some of the things people use spy stuff for are illegal, actually buying and owning the equipment is not.

If spy gear were illegal, where would bounty hunters and P.I.s get all of the equipment they need to do their jobs? In order for these private professionals to do their jobs, they need to have access to the right equipment. This means that law enforcement and government officials is not the only people who can buy spy equipment. However, it is important to note that they usually have legal reasons for invading others’ privacy, and you should carefully consider whether or not the uses you have for your gear are legal.

The most legal and eligible uses of spy gear involve the uses that protect property and home. Things like GPS trackers in cars and surveillance cameras on homes are practical uses of spy equipment that can help you protect your possessions and your family. Additionally, most places recognize that you can spy in your own home, and therefore it is acceptable to use a hidden camera in various places about the house in order to keep an eye on caregivers, teenagers, housekeepers, and guests. However, it never hurts to check and make sure these are acceptable uses of your spy gear before engaging in these practices.

In the United States, as well as many other countries with democratic forms of governments, individual rights are prized. It would not make sense in such cases to deny spy gear to the public while allowing the government to make liberal use of it. This means that it is legal to purchase, and even to use surveillance equipment and spy gadgets. However, it is up to you to make sure that what you are doing with your spy gear is not in violation of the law.
(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com. This article is about: Spy Gear.

To learn more about Spy and Surveillance Products visit www.spyassociates.com Read other related articles at spyassociates.blogspot.com/

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