Glossary

A VPN is an encrypted connection to a server. Now if you request a webpage, you will send the request to the VPN server, which in turn forwards your request to the host of the webpage. This way the webserver only sees the IP address of your VPN server but not your own, preventing them from tracking you over your IP address. VPN services are also used to access services only offered in other countries or to protect your data in untrusted Wi-Fi .

Tracking scripts are pieces of JavaScript (a programming language) code with the sole purpose of tracking you. They are annoying, violate your privacy and make websites load slower, as they use more data. Therefore it’s usually advisable to block tracking scripts.

HSTS is a mechanism that protects your browser from several possible attacks. HSTS allows a website to tell your browser that it should connect securely (using HTTPS) to this website. This way your browser knows that it can connect to this website securely and can therefore automatically block any insecure connections to this website. These insecure connections might arise due to an attack. Because of the great benefits HSTS offers, almost all standard browsers support it. This is dangerous as HSTS can be used to fingerprint your browser and make it perfectly identifiable. SnowHaze deletes HSTS data after each session and in return includes an extensive list of websites known to support HTTPS.

A cookie is a small number or text that a website stores on your device. Every time you visit this website or you connect to a website the cookie is sent back to it. This way the website can identify you. This is helpful for the website, as cookies make it possible to have reliable statistics on how web services are used or who has visited the website. Cookies also have advantages for the user. They, for instance, play a crucial role in the login process of most websites. Currently cookies are the most commonly used method to track people and devices and are extremely powerful in doing so. It is however fairly easy to protect yourself from being tracked by cookies. The only thing you need to do is to not accept cookies at all or to delete them after each session, like SnowHaze or Firefox Incognito mode do.

HTTP is the protocol your browser uses to communicate with a website server. You can think of a protocol like a language.

HTTPS is the encrypted version of HTTP.

When a website provides you with online drawing tools, the website probably uses the canvas element. However, the website can also use it to let your browser “draw” something and give it back to the website. Now, because of differences in computer setup, there can be small differences in the same picture drawn on different devices. The website will now store your image and as soon as you return to this website you will be asked to calculate this picture again. The website will then compare this picture to the ones it already has and can identify you this way. This is a very powerful form of fingerprinting. You can easily avoid this by using a canvas blocker.

The user agent is a string that your browser sends to the server when it requests a website. The user agent contains information about your system and helps with loading the correct page. The user agent will for example tell the website server the version of the browser you have. Therefore the server can display you a page that your browser will support.

It is often the case that user agents contain so much detailed information about your system that it is unlikely that identical user agents exist. This poses the problem that somebody can identify you by your user agent. Of course this is only possible as long as the user agent stays the same. Furthermore it is still possible that other internet users have the same user agent as you do. So absolute tracking is not easily possible with the user agent only. Coupled with other tracking techniques, however, the user agent can be used for very powerful tracking.

Further information can be found here