Tools

Improve Internet Research Browsing & Safety

it-security-breachAre you a person who worries about your browsing security, privacy, etc.?

If you are, perhaps this post will be helpful. If your computing platform will allow, the following tools will certainly make you more secure and reduce the invasiveness of the sites you visit/ research.

The advice that follows is geared toward those using Chrome (Chromium) & Firefox derivative browsers (I do not know if they will work with, or are even available on, other platforms).

  • If you are worried about your browsing security/ privacy (and cookies are not the issue), you might benefit from installing HTTPS Everywhere.  To paraphrase their site:

HTTPS Everywhere enables sites’ HTTPS protection which protects against eavesdropping and tampering with the contents of the site and/or any information you send. It, also, provides protection against an attacker learning the content of the information flowing in each direction (man-in-the middle attack).

  • For ad blocking: you may benefit by using uBlock Origin– this is an efficient blocker. Easy on CPU and memory carrying a small CPU footprint, while loading and enforcing thousands more filters than other popular blockers.
  • If you use ad-blockers, you may have noticed that certain sites ‘cover your screen’ with pop-ups etc. ‘requesting’ you allow their ads through onto your screen (to help them with their revenue- although I have no idea how it does since I never personally ‘click-thru’ -nor would I recommend that you ‘click-thru’ either.)  Anyway, there is a plugin that seems to fix this annoyance, as well, on Firefox/ Chrome derivatives called Disable Anti-Adblock– this plugin/extension disables anti-adblocker scripts revealing page content without you having to disable your adblocker.

You may download these plugins/ extensions from your browser plugin/extension library(ies).  They are available at no-cost. If you are unaware of the various derivative browsers for Firefox & Chrome (Chromium), you can check the ‘partial lists’ provided on How-toGeek (for Firefox) and Lifehacker (for Chrome/Chromium).

 

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ManyRoads Creator, Professional Genealogist, Family Historian, ManyRoads Podcast co-host, Old Guy and most importantly 'opa'