{"id":1555,"date":"2016-10-21T07:09:51","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T07:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/?p=1555"},"modified":"2022-04-22T01:09:22","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T06:39:22","slug":"essential-security-settings-web-browsers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/essential-security-settings-web-browsers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Essential Security Settings You Must Check in Your Web Browsers"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Before you visit another site, make sure your web browser is running with optimal security settings.<\/h2>\n<p>Your web browser is essentially your portal to the internet. It is the vehicle you use to travel around the worldwide web.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also your first line of defense when it comes to malware, hackers and cybercrime.<\/p>\n<p>You probably don\u2019t think of your browser in quite that way, but it\u2019s true regardless. That\u2019s why the browser community \u2013 the people behind popular programs like Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer (now Edge) \u2013 work so hard to provide you with security settings to help safeguard you from the dangers of the internet.<\/p>\n<p>And guess what\u2026 you probably aren\u2019t using all of those settings.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a quick guide for enabling essential security settings on three of the biggest browsers\u2014Chrome, Firefox and IE 10.<\/p>\n<h3>Google Chrome<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"265\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1556\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/google-chrome.jpg\" alt=\"google chrome web browser security settings\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/google-chrome.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/google-chrome-300x114.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There are a number of different settings you\u2019ll need to check in order to optimize security on Chrome. We\u2019ll provide you with a description of each, as well as directions on how to activate them.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Enable Phishing and Malware Protection<\/strong> \u2013 This seems like it should be a pretty obvious one, but not everyone has it enabled. To do so, simply activate it under the <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/chrome\/answer\/114836?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&#038;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;Privacy&#8221;<\/a> section of the settings menu. It will alter you if you\u2019re about to visit a questionable site.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disable Instant Search<\/strong> \u2013 Sure, it\u2019s incredible convenient to be able to search just by entering your query in the address bar, but it\u2019s not the most secure. Using this method, anything you type is immediately sent to Google. You can disable this in the settings menu.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t Sync Your Email Account<\/strong> \u2013 Once again, what seems like an extremely convenient feature actually makes you less secure. By syncing your account with the Chrome browser, you\u2019re allowing Google to store sensitive information like passwords and a autofill data on its servers. If you still want to sync accounts, at least turn on the \u201cencrypt all synced data\u201d option in the settings menu.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Turn Off Autofill and Never Save Passwords<\/strong> \u2013 If you\u2019re noticing a theme here, it\u2019s the convenience oftentimes comes at the expense of safety. Yes, it\u2019s nice not having to type in passwords and finish entering data into certain fields, but by leaving these settings on you\u2019re allowing Google to save that information on its servers, thus making it easier to steal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Other Suggestions<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cookies<\/strong> \u2013 Choose the option that lets you keep local data until you quit your browser and make sure to block third-party cookies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Javascript<\/strong> \u2013 Select the option that prevents sites from running Javascript.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pop-ups<\/strong> \u2013 This one is pretty obvious, make sure you choose to block pop-ups.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong> \u2013 Turn off the feature that allows sites to track your location.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Mozilla Firefox<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/mozilla_firefox_logo.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"995\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/mozilla_firefox_logo.png\" alt=\"mozilla firefox web browsers security warnings\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1558\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/mozilla_firefox_logo.png 995w, https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/mozilla_firefox_logo-300x115.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When enabling settings in Mozilla\u2019s Firefox browser, you can access them through the \u201cOptions\u201d menu.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Configure Privacy Settings<\/strong> \u2013 Again, it should be obvious why you would want to make sure to get your <a href=\"https:\/\/support.mozilla.org\/en-US\/products\/firefox\/privacy-and-security\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">privacy settings set up correctly<\/a>. You can find them under the \u201cPrivacy\u201d tab. You\u2019re going to set up Firefox so it stores only enough information as is needed for it to function properly:\n<ul>\n<li>Choose \u201cUse custom settings for history.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Unselect \u201cRemember my browsing and download history.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Unselect \u201cRemember search and form history.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Unselect \u201cAccept third-party cookies.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Choose the cookie storage option to \u201cKeep until I close Firefox.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Choose \u201cClear history when Firefox closes.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Configure Security Settings<\/strong> \u2013 In order to avoid risky websites and prevent Firefox from storing your passwords, you\u2019ll need configure your security settings in the \u201cSecurity\u201d tab.\n<ul>\n<li>Select \u201cWarn me when sites try to install add-ons.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Select \u201cBlock reported attack sites.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Select \u201cBlock reported web forgeries.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Unselect \u201cRemember passwords for sites.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disable Javascript<\/strong> \u2013 Under the \u201cContent\u201d tab, unselect \u201cEnable Javascript.\u201d Javascript can cause a lot of problems, so it\u2019s better to just avoid it all together.<\/li>\n<li>Enable Pop-up Blocking \u2013 Also under the \u201cContent\u201d tab, you can select to prevent pop-ups, which is definitely recommended.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t Sync<\/strong> \u2013 This isn\u2019t a setting so much as a suggestion: don\u2019t sync. Doing so allows Firefox to store sensitive information about you.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Turn On Automatic Updates<\/strong> \u2013 Under the \u201cUpdate\u201d tab, make sure you\u2019ve enable the setting that automatically updates Firefox. This will ensure your browser continues to get vital security updates.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use Secure Protocols<\/strong> \u2013 Under \u201cAdvanced,\u201d select \u201cEncryption\u201d and make sure that \u201cSSL 3.0\u201d and \u201cTLS 1.0\u201d are enabled so that you can make use of encryption technology.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Internet Explorer 10<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"670\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/internet-explorer-10.jpg\" alt=\"internet explorer web browser security settings\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/internet-explorer-10.jpg 670w, https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/internet-explorer-10-300x112.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>To access <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-in\/help\/17479\/windows-internet-explorer-11-change-security-privacy-settings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">security settings<\/a> in IE10, go through the \u201cInternet Options\u201d menu.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Configure Security Settings<\/strong> \u2013 Again, make sure IE10 has the correct security settings selected before browsing on it. To do this, select the \u201cSecurity\u201d tab.\n<ul>\n<li>Set Security Zones \u2013 This feature allows you to select individual security levels for different \u201czones\u201d like internet, local internet, trusted sites, etc\u2026 Spend some time here and select your desired levels.<\/li>\n<li>Set internet zone security to \u201cMedium High\u201d or above, as this will block certain kinds of cookies, enable ActiveX filtering and enable several other forms of default security.<\/li>\n<li>Disable JavaScript \u2013 Under \u201cCustom Level,\u201d find \u201cActive Scripting\u201d and select \u201cDisable.\u201d Again, Javascript creates a lot of vulnerabilities\u2014best just to avoid it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Automatically Clear History<\/strong> \u2013 Choose \u201cDelete browsing history on exit.\u201d You can find it under the \u201cGeneral\u201d tab.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Configure Privacy Settings<\/strong> \u2013 Do this under the \u201cPrivacy\u201d tab.\n<ul>\n<li>Set internet zone privacy to \u201cMedium High\u201d or above.<\/li>\n<li>Never allow websites to request your location.<\/li>\n<li>Activate \u201cPop-Up Blocker.\u201d\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Configure Advanced Security Settings<\/strong> \u2013 In the \u201cSecurity\u201d section under \u201cAdvanced,\u201d you can activate some additional security settings\n<ul>\n<li>Click \u201cRestore advanced settings\u201d to ensure all default settings are active.<\/li>\n<li>Choose \u201cDo not save encrypted pages to disk.\u201d <\/li>\n<li>Choose \u201cEmpty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Turn off \u201cAutoComplete.\u201d <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tracking Protection<\/strong> \u2013 In IE10\u2019s \u201cSafety\u201d menu is the Tracking Protection feature. You will need to provide a list of names of all the sites you don\u2019t want your information being sent to, or you can download a list.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>In Closing<\/h4>\n<p>\nThese are the recommended safety settings for Google Chrome, Mozilla FireFox and Microsoft Internet Explorer 10. The internet is a dangerous place, the less information you make available to it, the less likely you are to run into trouble.\n<\/p>\n<p>So make sure you have these settings enabled on your browser. And stay safe!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before you visit another site, make sure your web browser is running with optimal security settings. Your web browser is essentially your portal to the internet. It is the vehicle &hellip; <span class=\"d-flex justify-content-end\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/essential-security-settings-web-browsers\/\" class=\"btn btn-blue\">Read More <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Essential Security Settings You Must Check in Your Web Browsers<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-web-security-updates"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Top Web Browsers Essential Security Settings You Must Check<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The essential security setting guide before you use top web browsers such as Google 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