It doesn’t matter which part of the world you come from; your internet service provider can track anything that you are doing online at any given time. The tracking can include your browsing and download history, the apps that you use and what time you used them. Your internet services provider (ISP) can collect all this data for their privacy policy purposes.
Your collected data can be sold by your ISP to a third party or reveal the data to relevant authorities including the police or government when necessary. ISP will track your internet activities for revenue correction from your browsing history. Your ISP can also be compiling anonymous browsing logs and sell them to marketing companies.
The primary reason for hiding your internet and online activities is to prevent your browsing activities from being tracked by cookies. Cookies are small plain text files used to personalize your browsing experience by monitoring and storing your online activities.
Some of the files may include your ID number, credit card details, e-mail address and any other vital information that you own.
Information Tracked by ISP
Your ISP will keep records of the following data once you hire their services
Account Information- This data includes your name, address, phone number, e-mail address. Other types of data that your ISP will keep include your service-related details like payment data, security codes and service history.
Network Performances and Usage Information- your ISP will correct data on how you use their network, services, and products.
Web Browsing and Wireless Application Information- your ISP will know the websites that you visit and the mobile apps you use with their network.
Information about your Location- if you have some wireless devices, your ISP will locate them as well as your location address and ZIP-code.
TV Viewing Information- if you usually use your internet to watch television programs, your internet service provider can reveal the schedules and similar information on how you use video services and other applications.
It is evident that your personal information and data is no longer safe as long as you have hired services from any ISP. Your information is still at risk from experienced hackers who create fake public WI-FI to steal your critical data.
Protect your most essential information from leaking to a second party by applying the following parameters that you can use to confuse or block your ISP, and thereby covering your tracks.
Install an HTTPS Everywhere
The browser extension is one of the essential things that you should install. The expansion requires that your entire browser occur using SSL/TLS encryption. The primary purpose of this kind of extension is to protect whatever you’re viewing from a passive collection by your ISP.
The great extension does not stop your ISP from seeing the site you visited though it starts working immediately you install it. It only helps to protect your communication by hiding its content. Your ISP will know that you visited Google but not what you searched or read.
Use VPN Services
A virtual private network (VPN) is an encrypted link between you and your internet. You connect your internet directly to your VPN where all your internet browsing goes through your VPN server and blocks any third party from looking into what you are browsing.
Though getting the right VPN is a hectic activity, there are likely ones that offer extra useful features. Some of the highlights include internet kill switch that shuts off your computer internet connectivity immediately you disconnect your VPN.
The following is the process of setting a VPN service.
- Sign-up with a reputable VPN service
- Download and install your VPN provider software in your Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad or Android.
- Launch your VPN app and sign into it using your newly created VPN account.
- Connect to a VPN server within the app
- Leave your VPN running
After following the simple steps, your ISP will not be able to track your activities when online.
Best VPN to protect you from ISP Tracking
Despite having many VPN services, it can be tricky for you when choosing the one to use since there are some that are trustworthy while others cannot be trusted.
Some of the VPN apps can subject your device to viruses that can destroy your equipment. Get a VPN that has a good history in the field of online privacy. One VPN that I have come to like is Windscribe. Read more about by visiting https://bestvpn24.com/windscribe-vpn-review/.
These are some of the features that you should consider before getting yourself an excellent and credible VPN service.
- No-log policy
- Up-to-date VPN protocol
- VPN apps for PC, Mac, iPhone, and Android
- Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-265)
- Fast VPN servers on Tier-1 networks
Some of the best VPN that will protect your ISP from tracking your internet activities include
- Express VPN
- Bullet VPN
- Nord VPN
- IP vanish VPN
Tor Browser
You can use Tor Browser to encrypt all your network traffic to hinder your ISP from tracking your online activities. When using Tor, your traffic passes through several nodes. Each node decrypts a part of the truck before giving it to the next node.
The final relay known as exit node decrypts the inner-most layer send your original data to its destination without revealing or detecting the source IP address which makes your browsing to be anonymous.
Tor major shortcoming is that anyone can set up an exit node where the traffic gets decrypted and read your data before passing it through.
Block Trackers
Your ISP can track your website activities with the help of endorsements and cookies. Privacy Badger prevents cookies and advertisements on your website. You can also use uBlock Origin to accelerate your browsing speed and blocks unwanted traffic.
Both Privacy Badger and uBlock are free and easy to install giving you a friendly and safe browsing experience.
Conclusion
Since different countries make Anti-privacy laws, it is essential to protect your browsing history from unwanted onlookers. Your ISP monitoring your browsing activities could jeopardize your private and sensitive information.
To avoid such scenarios, make sure to follow the discussed security measures to hide your browsing activities from your internet service provider.
