2.1 Fix your browser
This section is part of the amber and green pathways.
There are several simple things you can do to improve your web browser’s security.
- Use a browser such as Brave (https://brave.com/) that is designed to put your security first.
- Use a search engine such as duckduckgo (https://duckduckgo.com) that doesn’t track you.
- Use a secure VPN or the TOR browser when using public wi-fi.
Cookies are small pieces of data that can be used to track your use of the web and some websites host cookies belonging to organisations you know nothing about – these are called ‘third party cookies’ and they’re no use to you whatsoever.
Find the appropriate sections for the web browsers you have installed from the selection below, and use the browser’s preferences section to locate the cookie preferences and fix them. Use the tools/preferences menu in your browser to prevent the use of third party cookies.
Once you have checked your settings you can test whether you can be identified by your web browser by visiting the site https://panopticlick.eff.org [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] . Read the information about this site and then hit the ‘Test Me’ button.
The table shows the test results for a secure browser.
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Is your browser blocking tracking ads? | Yes |
| Is your browser blocking invisible trackers? | Yes |
| Dows your blocker stop trackers that are included in the so-called ‘acceptable ad’ whitelist? | Yes |
| Does your browser unblock 3rd parties that promise to honour Do not track? | No |
| Does your browser protect from fingerprinting? | Your browser has a unique fingerprint |
Activity 1 Improving your browser security
Note down in the box below how you can further improve your browser security.
Next, you will decide what to do about the risks to your digital information and share your resolutions with your fellow learners.