2024-03-29 14:50 UTC (Access Key = T)
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2024-02-20
Tim Cliffe - Blog
Making Your Browser More Secure
Published: 2021-02-01. Reading Time: 3.5 minutes.01 Target Audience
(01.1) Anyone concerned with their on-line privacy and security.
02 Executive Summary
(02.1) When you browse the web, the software you use, in most cases, is giving away information about your computer and browser software.
(02.2) Unscrupulous people can use this information to help them to gain access to your computer.
(02.3) This article will show you how to stop your browser giving away such information and make you a little safer on-line.
03 Structure of This Article
- (04) User-Agent - The Giver of Information
- (05) Hiding your Browser User-Agent Details
04 User-Agent - The Giver of Information
(04.1) If you read my recent blog about Making Your Thunderbird (or any other) E-mails More Secure
(External link, opens in a new tab/window). e-mail User-Agents, similar arguments apply to web browsers.
Have you ever wondered why the same advertisements seem to follow you around the web?
(04.2) Perhaps you've also noticed, the number of search engine results seem to be far fewer than a few years ago. This is because your searching habits are being tracked and recorded. The search engines call it 'Personalising your experience'. What it really means is, limiting your experience.
(04.3) The explanation is simple:
- Most people do not empty their browser's Cache. This means Cookies, written to your computer by Search Engines and websites, are never removed and can be read;
- Your web browser is giving away information about your browser, your computer and its operating system;
- There are people, search engines and websites that will try to convince you, if you change your User-Agent details, search engines and websites will not work properly. This is not true. Visit the Mozilla website
(External link, opens in a new tab/window). Find out why.
(04.4) This information makes it very easy to track you around the web. If you are being tracked, you are easier to identify, if you can be identified, you are more vulnerable to attack.
(04.5) The solution is quick, simple and free. Install a User-Agent Switcher (UAS). Most, if not all, web browsers have UASs you can install as an Add-on to your browser. It takes, literally, seconds to do.
05 Hiding your Browser User-Agent Details
(05.1) The following instructions apply to the Firefox browser; however, it is easy to find a UAS Add-on for your browser, for example, you might search for, Chrome User-Agent Switcher. The Add-on I have used below is simply for illustration purposes, and is not to be inferred as a recommendation.
(05.3) To hide your true User-Agent:
1. Launch your browser (e.g., Firefox), then;
(05.4) Firefox is now configured to constantly change the User-Agent string in your browser's Headers.
(05.5) To confirm what User-Agent information your browser is now declaring, visit User Agent String dot com website
(External link, opens in a new tab/window). UserAgentString.com.
(05.6) Your information and on-line safety are now a little more secure.
Use of this Article
Any part, or all, of this article may be linked-to or copied for non-commercial purposes. Any linked or copied content to include the following...
Making Your Browser More Secure by Tim Cliffe © 1997-2024.
Where use will be for commercial purposes, seek authorisation, including details of proposed use, via the Contact page.
Return to the Blog page.
Resources
eLearning:
- 3D Printer Developments by 3D Printing Industry
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Augmented Reality from Tobias Kammann
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Browser Statistics by w3schools.
Browser Type, Operating System, Screen Resolutions
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Cambridge Dictionary The Cambridge Dictionary - leading authority on the English Language - Dictionary and Thesaurus - Free to use
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - eLearning Feeds by eLearning Feeds. Ranked and scored e-learning blogs
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Global Statistics (on-line) by ITU - Includes Stats for the Web and Mobile
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Multi-media Software SourceForce - Open Source software (free) development and distribution community
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Punctuation Guide by the renowned Professor Larry Trask
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Referencing:
- Typography by Typekit Practice
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Virtual Reality Blog by Enter VR
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Web Usability by Nielson Norman Group
(External link, opens in a new tab/window).
Security:
- Anonymous Browsing:
- Computer by The Tor Project
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Mobile by The Guardian Project
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - User-Agent String Confirm what information your browser is giving away about itself, your operating system and computer
(External link, opens in a new tab/window);
- Computer by The Tor Project
- Computer Security from Graham Cluley
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Email Encryption by GnuPG, for various Operating Systems
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Publicised Location Confirm your VPN/Proxy settings; where the Internet thinks you are
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Random No. Generator Create random passwords, convert numbers to letters, e.g., 5 = E
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - UK NCSC Advice and guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - On-line Privacy by The Tin Hat. Articles and Tutorials
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - VPN Reviews by TechRadar
The latest reviews of VPNs
(External link, opens in a new tab/window).
- GCA Toolkit Access the UK Police ActionFraud website
Protect small/medium sized business from cyber attacks
(External link, opens in a new tab/window); - Quad9 and DMARC Access the UK Police ActionFraud website
Protect your system and e-mail
(External link, opens in a new tab/window).
Guarding against disinformation and the re-writing of history.
Web Archive Access the Internet Archive Wayback Machine website(External link, opens in a new tab/window)