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Plug Your Browser Security Holes

Internet users around the world have made changes to their surfing habits since they learned about international spying programs and the rise in cybercriminal activity. They have begun using better antivirus programs and firewalls, and have installed privacy tools that give them additional security as well. But aside from these, all Internet users need to think about the security holes in their browsers, the most basic tools that we all use to access the Internet. Browsers have a lot of weak points that cause data leaks – sometimes on purpose – and that can be exploited for malicious purposes.

The Safest Browser

Most people will ask this question, thinking that there has to be at least one browser out there that will not threaten their security. The truth is that all the best ones have serious defects. The safest browser in general is therefore the one that gets updated most often, among other factors that we will discuss below. Browser creators Mozilla, Google, Microsoft and Apple all issue frequent updates, but users have to agree to install them. To avoid security issues due to unpatched flaws, be sure to always run the latest version of whatever browser you are using.

Cookies and Tracking

When using a browser, you should also consider what cookies it allows and what you can do to control this. Many websites these days use cookies that you need to allow for the websites to function properly. This is a choice that you will have to make based on what these cookies are for and whether the website is important enough for you to give it permission. Other cookies can be dangerous and also hurt your privacy, so you should be able to effectively block them from your browser.

Flash cookies are very dangerous because of their inherent vulnerabilities and difficulty removing them once they are on your computer. Chrome stands out here again because of the browser cleanup feature that allows you to delete all cookies along with site data after your browsing session. Firefox does not remove flash cookies, but you can use the BetterPrivacy add-on to block them and also set the browser to clear the cookies when you close it. On Firefox, you can set this on the Privacy menu under Preferences. On Chrome, look for Content settings under the advanced Settings option to delete them. There are also the Private Browsing and Incognito Mode options. IE and Safari do not block flash cookies.

Third party cookies are used to allow these third parties to track users on a website. And most websites do this to see how they are being used so that their administrators can learn how to keep people’s attention longer. This means a better chance to sell something, so tracking can get very deep and personal. Chrome stands out as having the best general and third party cookie control and blocking mechanism. Third party cookies are enabled by default, however, as they are on Firefox and Internet Explorer. On Safari, these cookies are disabled by default, but sometimes they get through anyway, as they also do on Chrome and IE. On Firefox, disable third party cookies in The Privacy menu under Preferences. On Chrome, you can block them under the advanced Settings.

Behavioral tracking is another form of tracking for the purpose of generating revenue from targeted advertising. To combat this, we have the “Do Not Track” header and the “Tracking Protection Lists” to opt out of tracking. DNT tells websites that you do not want to be tracked, but it is not widely respected by advertisers. Tracking Protection Lists are where you can indicate which companies you want to block from tracking you. IE 9 is the best here, offering support for both, and Firefox comes in second with support for the DNT headers. Chrome and Safari both fail here, but at least you can use uBlock and Privacy Badger to help block these trackers. They give you control over what you want blocked and what you are willing to risk allowing through. uBlock stops most ads and trackers from getting through, and is fast. Privacy Badger can dynamically detect when a tracker is present and blocks it from sending content. uBlock and Privacy Badger work together to complete the needed features. You should also install HTTPS Everywhere. This extension forces your sessions to run over Secure HTTP so that you get a secure TLS connection as long as the website that you are using supports this. It doesn’t anonymize your site visits, but it prevents spying and tracking of page views.

Firefox has the built-in Flash Block extension that controls Flash by having you click to play it, but uninstalling Flash is a better choice. Adblock Plus is also available to make up for the terrible support given for Tracking Protection Lists, but it is not recommended since they allow some advertisers to pay them to circumvent the blocks. Avoid using Ghostery as well because its defaults allow a lot of tracking, and the proprietary source code makes it difficult to detect if it is being manipulated like Adblock. You can also use opt out of cookies on Firefox and Chrome, but these are also often ignored by advertisers.

Flash and Java

Adobe Flash and Java have caused many security problems since they came out. Adobe Flash may prevent some sites from loading properly or cause them to malfunction, but it is better for security that you disable it. Java is rarely used by the average Internet surfer, so it really should be disabled to prevent issues. For Chrome, the options for Flash and Java are also under the Content settings. For Firefox, they can be deactivated in the Plugins menu under Add-ons.

Additional Privacy and Security Tools

An essential tool for privacy and security is a personal VPN. This tool encrypts all traffic going in and out of an Internet connection so that no data can be read. It also sends this encrypted data through a private tunnel so that it cannot be intercepted or altered. This offers the best privacy and security yet for personal data on unsecure connections and websites. You can also use the Tor Browser on Firefox, but a VPN from our top providers is worth the few dollars a month that you pay to get top level encryption, secure and malware-free servers, monitored private tunneling, and real privacy for your personal information.

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