Alan called in from Las Vegas last weekend to ask about privacy tools. He wants to be able to surf the Web anonymously.

I don’t blame you for wanting to protect your privacy when you surf. You share a lot of information about your computer just by visiting a Web site. Don’t believe me? I have a tip that explains what Web sites can learn about you. It includes a link so you can see for yourself what sites can learn about you.

Fortunately, there is something you can do. I would begin by cleaning up your Web tracks on your computer. You should pay close attention to cookies. Cookies generally aren’t a big problem.

However, Google sets a persistent cookie on your computer. On my computer, I found one that was set to expire in 2038! This can link you to all of your Web searches. Yikes! Firefox users can download CustomizeGoogle to surf Google anonymously.

After you clean your computer, use a proxy server to surf. In a nutshell, these obscure you by routing your surfing through a series of computers. Proxy servers protect your privacy from most people. Just don’t use it for illegal purposes – law enforcement agencies can still ferret you out. Tor, Privoxy and Jap are three free proxy servers.

Of course, you should also be careful about what you enter in a search site.