Internet Censorship – Part 3: (methods to fight back censorship)
In Part 2 of this series, different technologies used by the government to make sure that internet censorship happens were discussed. In this edition, methods by which internet censorship can be circumvented will be examined.
Can internet censorship be fought and bypassed? How and what methods can be used to avoid the limitations imposed by the grips of internet censorship? How can you break free from the oppression or suppression of your freedom to access information? Read further to learn different methods that can be used to avoid getting limited.
- Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Connect to a reliable and strong VPN will cause the traffic coming from your computer to be redirected over the virtual private network, using a different IP address through an encrypted connection that keeps you away from the prying eyes of internet censorship. Although the ISP or government can see that you are making an encrypted connection, they cannot block your connection.
- DNS Server
This technique involves changing the DNS servers especially when the censorship or filtering blocks the DNS servers to banned or forbidden websites. Change the DNS servers to bypass the filtering process set by the ISP. OpenDNS, for instance, offers a web filtering solution that allows users to beat and override the internet censorship and limitations.
- Tor
Tor enables users to browse anonymously, and access blocked websites by routing users browsing over an encrypted network. It allows an unfiltered and uncensored web browsing. Tor grants access to blocked sites on any connection. However, Tor should not be used to access unencrypted and sensitive data.
Tor is so secure that it can work even when proxies, VPNs, and SSH tunnels will not work. One significant downside of Tor is that it is slower than the usual web browsing.
- Proxy
Proxies can be used to access blocked websites. Proxies work like VPN, but they are not as strong or effective because they only work for specific programs. A web-based proxy, for instance, can be used to access blocked sites. Hide My Ass is an example of a working proxy that can be used to bypass the restrictions set by internet censorship.
- SSH Tunnel
Known as “Secure Shell” tunneling, SSH tunneling creates a safe connection between a user’s computer and a remote machine over an encrypted connection. It is designed for forwarding network traffic, and it works like VPN. SSH tunneling is useful for encrypting unencrypted protocol such as IRC, VNC, or IMAP and for bypassing any filtering on the local network.
