USA TODAY International Edition
You should check your browser security settings
No matter which browser you choose, you’re accessing the same internet.
That is, of course, unless you’re using Tor to trawl the Dark Web. Feeling curious about how to get there?
Dark Web or not, it’s easy to end up on sketchy websites. Click one bad ad or visit a compromised site, and you could end up in a world of hurt.
Instead of waiting for problems to land in your lap, take action. You can make your browser – Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge – safer.
Keep your location, microphone, or camera to yourself
Most web browsers access your geographic location via your IP address. Your browser also may have direct access to permission use of your device’s camera and microphone.
It’s certainly convenient, but it’s a huge security risk. With the right malicious software, hackers can use that access to their advantage.
Instead, make the browser ask permission every time.
From your browser, go to Settings or Preferences, and look under Privacy or Privacy and security. Under Location or Location Services, choose Deny without prompting or Ask before accessing.
Do the same under Camera and Microphone in your Privacy settings.
Stop automatic downloads before they start
Like location services and quick access to your camera, your browser can download the second you click. Stop that with the steps below: Chrome: Click the, then Settings. Under the “Privacy and security” heading on the left, choose Site Settings. Under “Permissions,” click on Automatic downloads, and toggle the Ask when a site … switch to On.
Firefox: Click the three- line menu in the upper right, then choose Options. Select the “General” tab, and look for the “Applications header. With each content type listed, ensure the action is set to Always ask to prevent any file type from being saved automatically.
Safari: Open Preferences. Under the General tab, click the File download location drop- down menu. Select Ask for each download.
Edge: Click the three- dot menu, then choose Settings. Look for the “Downloads” section on the left. Set the Ask me what to do with each download toggle to On.
Disable pop- ups and redirects Pop- ups within websites are a normal part of surfing the web. But new windows that spam you with notifications, ads, or mysterious links to click are bad news. The same goes for redirects.
Take control, so none of this happens automatically.
Chrome: Click the three- dot menu, then Settings. Under the “Privacy and security” heading, click Site settings > Pop- ups and redirects. Toggle Blocked on.
Firefox: Click the three- line menu in the upper right, then choose Options. Select the “Privacy & Security” section on the left. Scroll down to “Permissions” and check the box for Block popup windows.
Safari: Open the Preferences and the Security tab. Check the box for Block pop- up windows.
Edge: Click the three- dot menu, then choose Site permissions. Select Pop- ups and redirects and toggle on Block.
Make private browsing your friend Using a browser’s private or incognito mode does not hide everything you do from your ISP, family or employer.
Private windows don’t save your browsing history, cookies, site data, or form information.
Chrome: Click the three- dot menu, then choose New incognito window.
You can also hit Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows or Command + Shift + N on a Mac.
Firefox: Click the three- line menu in the upper right, then New Private Window. Or type Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows or Command + Shift + P on a Mac.
Safari: Click File > New Private Window. Or type Command + Shift + N.
Edge: Click the three- dot menu in the upper right, then New InPrivate window. You can also hit Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows or Command + Shift + N on a Mac.
Use the latest version
Browser patches and updates contain fixes for weak spots in security, glitches and other common issues.
Updates usually happen automatically. You can also manually check to be sure. If you don’t see anything following the steps below, you’re already on your browser’s latest version.
Chrome: Click the three- dot icon in the top right corner. Click Update Google Chrome, then Relaunch.
Firefox: Choose the three- line menu button, click Help > About Firefox. Firefox will check for updates and download them automatically. When the download is complete, click Restart to update Firefox.
Safari: Click the Apple menu, then App Store. Select Updates to scan your system. If an update is available, choose Update or Update All. You may need to enter your Apple ID and password and select Sign In.
Edge: Click the three- dot menu in the top right corner. Choose Help and feedback, then About Microsoft Edge. Edge will scan for updates and automatically download if there is one. Click Restart.