If you read our INTERNET: Access chapter you’ll know how secure, private or anonymous your connection to the Internet is or isn’t! But what about how you use the Internet, that is what we will explore in this chapter…
This chapter is going to break down your usage of the Internet into two core areas: portal and purpose:
- Your portal to the Internet is generally through a web browser or web app – put simply web, or mobile apps, are basic browsers with some assets (such as images) already included. So they are not that different, but at least with an actual browser you usually have access to some settings which you can change to aid your privacy, security or anonymity online.
- Your purpose on the Internet is what you are doing within the browser or web app! The actual service you are consuming – straight away we can split this into two core categories – services you have to login to and open services which you can use without an account or logging in.
For your portal the distinction here is between browser and app is whether you are tied to a particular site or service – using the Google Chrome browser to access all websites including imdb.com, for example, versus using the imDB app where you are locked to that site!
- Browser – there are some browsers that claim to increase security, privacy or anonymity online and some claims are true, but on the whole browsers are not particularly known for providing any direct protection – unless very clearly shown how they do – such as the ToR bowser – covered in our previous chapter!
- Security:
- Privacy:
- Anonymity:
- Security:
- App – there are so many apps it is hard to cover in a single rating, but again unless it is an app that very clearly shows how it provides protection assume it does the opposite! Apps that affect your connection are covered in our INTERNET: Access chapter.
- Security:
- Privacy:
- Anonymity:
- Security:
Realistically, assume the worst and be careful about what apps you install and what access you allow the app to have – why does a calculator app need access to your contacts, but that is a whole other chapter!
Finally we come to the service you are consuming through your Internet connection and possibly VPN or ToR and then browser or app – but are you logged in or is the service open access!
- Login – meaning you provide some sort of account credentials which links you to other identifying information such as an email address, device, postal address or even payment details!
- Security:
- Privacy:
- Anonymity:
- Security:
- Open – you can use the full extent of the site or service without signing up or logging in!
- Security:
- Privacy:
- Anonymity:
- Security:
Again, as in INTERNET: Access, these ratings are for comparing the services, so a browser is generally better than an app and open services are generally better than logged in services – with respect to security, privacy and anonymity. In life these services exist for communication or our convenience so a good rule of thumb is:
use browser for open services and apps for logged in services
A future chapter – INTERNET: Apps – will cover mobile apps in more detail, but before then we’ll discuss how the Internet is developing and how it will affect your security, privacy and anonymity online – INTERNET: Development.