Every day, millions of users use browsers to search the Internet and view web pages. Their main objective is to interpret text, images and videos that they receive when accessing the different portals, but they also have data storage servers to safeguard all your information. Many of these navigation tools have the famous incognito mode in order to leave no trace. However, many people still question whether anonymity is really maintained.
Although it is not usually very common, there are already many users who choose to use incognito mode in their trusted browser to enter websites and thus improve their privacy. However, it is also vitally important to know if we are exempt from any trace we leave in cyberspace and the simplest answer is that it is not as private as they make it out to be.
Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari are some of the applications that include this browsing method and provide a series of advantages that make it easier for all of the users’ personal data to not be recorded. So why do experts indicate that it is not entirely effective and what is the reason why you can still be visible to some third-party actors?
Is incognito mode safe and reliable?
It is often associated with incognito mode being a program where your data is completely safe, and in practice this is not the case. While it is true that you can browse with complete ease without your logins being stored, once you have closed the browser and prevented the web pages you visit from being recorded, you will continue to be an object of tracking for other browsers. This usually happens because your IP does not disappear at any time and administrators or Internet providers could have access to all your activity, even if your browsing history has been deleted.
In the case of cyber attacks, if you enter incognito mode, you will still be exposed to threats and your computer could be infected in the same way as if you used traditional browsing. For example, if you access your email through Google Chrome’s incognito mode and click a malicious link, all your documentation will still be at risk. The same happens if you connect via public WiFi, since it will be useless to use this way to access your bank account, because you are also in danger.
Furthermore, incognito mode does not add extra security, but it can be productive for certain circumstances. As we have mentioned, the sites you visit are not stored nor are the cookies, as well as the cache when you access with your credentials, therefore, it is always good to use it when you are going to enter someone else’s computer and you do not want them to know. where you have navigated. Another case in which it can be beneficial is to make queries without search engines saving that information to offer you suggestions based on your queries.
What can I use to browse privately?
If you want no one to know where you have been, you must use more sophisticated programs, such as VPNs, a network infrastructure that allows secure and anonymous browsing in your local area without anyone or anything being able to see what you do. Your is no longer registered anywhere, but another one provided by the VPN itself is used. This will ensure that your data is not encrypted and will protect your information in a much more robust way.
In short, using incognito mode has its pros and cons, but if you really want to enjoy anonymity and maintain privacy on all your devices, VPNs are the best options to avoid any cyberattacks and trackers.
