SURF SAFELY
The vast bulk of your time online is spent in your web browser, and whether you’ve stuck with Safari or opted for one of the many alternatives, there’s plenty you can do to tighten security.
Start by performing an audit of all those extensions (also known as add-ons)
Make sure the websites you visit are kept at arm’s length To cover your tracks effectively, start with an ad blocker
you’ve installed – in Safari, you’ll find them under the Extensions tab after selecting Safari > Preferences. Uninstall any you don’t recognise or don’t need, plus enable any that have been installed by your security software, which can offer additional protection (for example, Bitdefender’s TrafficLight extension will scan pages when loaded for potentially harmful content). Before proceeding, find and install your password manager’s browser extension to speed up logging into websites (and generating new, strong passwords when you set up new accounts or change passwords).
Browse privately
You might think that choosing your browser’s Private Window or Private Browsing function makes you completely invisible on the internet. It doesn’t: its primary purpose is to enable you to visit sites without leaving any traces on your computer afterwards, but those sites (as well as any keylogger or spyware malware) can still track you.
To cover your tracks more effectively, you could try an ad blocker that stops all kinds of trackers as well as ads, although this may also stop some websites from working correctly. Try pairing Disconnect disconnect.me/disconnect) with either Ghostery Lite (Safari, ghostery.com/lite/)
or uBlock Origin (Firefox, Chrome, bit.ly/ mac364ghgorhill). You can also take steps to block unwanted tracking cookies when visiting sites for the first time. When the cookie prompt appears, click the option to review the settings; the site is obliged to preselect only those cookies essential to the site functioning correctly, so scroll down and click ‘Save and Close’ to reject the more intrusive ones.
Go further
Also take the time to check your browser’s privacy settings – typically found under Preferences or Settings. Safari offers basic options only, but others – like Firefox (getfirefox.com) – are more aggressive in what they can block. It’s here where you’ll also find options to clear cookies and site data. Be careful though, as doing so wipes all cookies associated with site preferences (including login data).
These days, most websites should use the secure https:// protocol by default, but not all do. Your browser should automatically redirect to a https:// website when you type in the address and warn you when it can’t do so (try http://neverssl.com). But just because a website is transmitting over https:// doesn’t make it safe. Sites can be hacked or compromised, and while browsers and security software can spot many of these, some still slip through. Verify a website’s identity by checking clicking the padlock icon next to the address bar and examining its certificate. If it looks suspicious, shy away.
Finally, when you ‘look up’ web addresses, the data is sent unencrypted, which means your ISP or other malicious actors can peek at your viewing habits. To close this loophole, either investigate DNS over HTTPS, aka DoH (bit.ly/ mac364cbdnshttps), which only covers your browser, or check out the information above about VPNs for a more comprehensive solution.