Online Security - Part 2 - Browsing, Searching & Password Management
The second part of our simple guide moves on to protecting yourself when browsing and remembering passwords.
When you are online you need to be mindful of keeping
Browsing
Mozilla Firefox: Firefox is widely regarded as one of the most secure and reputable browsers. It's an open-source browser developed by a non-profit organisation, which means its code is regularly audited for vulnerabilities. It includes strong privacy features, such as Enhanced Tracking Protection, which blocks third-party trackers, and a private browsing mode.
Brave: Brave is a privacy-focused browser built on the Chromium engine (the same one used by Google Chrome). It is a top choice for security because it has a built-in ad and tracker blocker that works by default, protecting you from malicious pop-ups and scripts. It also automatically upgrades connections to HTTPS when possible and offers protection against browser fingerprinting.
Tor Browser: If anonymity and privacy are your highest priorities, Tor Browser is the leader. It's a hardened version of Firefox designed to route your traffic through a series of relays to mask your IP address and location. While this makes it extremely secure for anonymous browsing, it can be significantly slower than other browsers. Note that Brave has its own TOR browsing mode for extra security despite being a little slow and will not work with all websites.
Chrome is probably the most commonly known browser and having excellent security features, like sandboxing and frequent updates, but it is often criticised for its privacy practices due to its ties to Google and its data collection and feeding back data to Googles servers. For users who prioritise privacy over all else, a different browser may be a better choice.
Extensions
uBlock Origin is widely considered the gold standard of ad blockers for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. It's a free and open-source extension known for being incredibly effective and lightweight. It blocks a huge range of ads, pop-ups, and trackers without consuming a lot of system resources. Not that if you are using Brave this has this feature already built in.
AdGuard a powerful blocker for Firefox, Chrome and Safari that is highly effective at eliminating all types of ads, including video ads. It also offers a paid version with additional features but the free version is still a good start.
1Blocker is a highly-rated, native ad and tracker blocker for Safari on macOS and iOS. It uses Safari's content-blocking API, which makes it very fast and efficient. It allows for a high degree of customisation
Web Searching
Startpage is an alternative front end to Google's search engine but sends your query to Google anonymously, so you get the quality of Google's search results without the tracking. Set this as your default home page in your browser and it’s easy to remember to use it. There is also an app available for mobile devices.
Brave Search is developed by the creators of the Brave browser, this search engine has its own independent web index. It is a privacy-first search engine that doesn't track or profile users. Brave Search also has unique features like Goggle which lets you customise how results are ranked.
Mojeek is a truly independent search engine, as it uses its own web crawler to index the pages and doesn't rely on the search indexes of other companies like Bing or Google. This ensures that the results you see are truly unbiased and not influenced by larger corporations.
Managing Passwords
No one can remember all their passwords for all sites or application, so a Password Manager is your best bet. Here are some of the most popular that can be cross platform and device to make it easier to manage. Remember that some antivirus solutions offer password managers but of course if you stop using them then they could become inaccessible.
Bitwarden is known for being a powerful open-source password manager. Its transparency and open-source nature mean its code is constantly audited for vulnerabilities, which is a significant plus. It offers both cloud-hosted and self-hosted options, which is a critical feature for security conscious companies that may have "air-gapped" or highly sensitive networks that cannot connect to the public internet. Bitwarden is also compliant with several security policies, including HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 2
Password is Apples default password application which can automatically generate complex passwords and keys and share them across devices other Apple devices securely.
Proton Pass has a free plan provides unlimited password storage and 10 email aliases that allows you to create and use temporary email addresses to protect your real one from spam and tracking, similar to Apple. It also syncronises your passwords securely across devices with the free tier.
Further recommendations;
2FA (2 Factor Authentication) is becoming standard for gaining access to systems and apps, via a login and a secondary authentication code that is sent to your mobile or email address. Always utilise 2FA on any login your come across.
Change all default passwords on any wifi enabled devices including your router and don’t use the same one for multiple devices.
Always log out!
Using Public Wifi
Never access sensitive data (like your bank account) on public Wi-Fi without using a VPN. Public networks are unencrypted and easily monitored, making your data vulnerable to being intercepted by anyone on the same network. A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel for your data, protecting you from eavesdroppers. If you can, as a rule of thumb, do not ever access sensitive data unless you are at home on your own wifi.