Archives - Web Browser

Look out for Google Chrome extension malware

Extensions enhance web browsers. At the same time, they can create security risks. For example, Google Chrome is probably just another trusted application to your operating system and antivirus software, meaning it – and its extensions – can run code without a hitch. Some extensions are malicious, though. Look for unusual names, obscure publishers and […]

Consider alternatives to Google

Google is a unique resource, albeit one with some significant drawbacks in terms of how extensively it catalogs your activities, from your search history to your geolocation. The privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo offers similar results with no tracking, reducing the risk of sensitive data falling into the wrong hands.

Check for typos when typing out URLs

Typosquatting is the practice of hosting a website at an address that is similar to a popular URL yet off by a character or two, turning it into a trap for anyone making a common typo. Look carefully at what you type or, better yet, just save frequently visited sites as bookmarks and navigate to them from there […]

Use private browsing on shared computers

All major web browsers provide options for private (aka incognito) browsing. In this mode, a browser does not remember your visited sites, account logins and HTTP cookies (i.e.,the digital files allowing websites to track you). Accordingly, you gain extra protection from others trying to use your saved credentials or look at your history, especially on […]

Turn off autoplay videos and plugins

Videos that start playing automatically in your browser are more than distracting – they also use up bandwidth and are potentially dangerous as malware delivery vehicles. Similarly, plugins like Flash and ActiveX can drain battery while heightening risks if not up-to-date. You can set most web browsers to block autoplay videos and to require your […]

Periodically clear your web cache, cookies and history

Collecting these three items enables web browsers to speed up your experience by loading already-saved resources instead of making new copies. However, their accumulation can create security risks and performance issues. An incident involving Yahoo’s use of cookies exposed many accounts to hijacking. Storage of cookies also requires disk space and CPU resources. Clear everything […]