A Course on Security and Privacy, Week Three: Easy Browser Security

Easy Browser Security

Most of your computer use is probably internet usage, and the internet is where a lot of vulnerability comes into your security. So we’re going to start with the tool we use the most to access the internet: your browser.

Download Firefox
I’m actually a Chrome junkie, but when I started this series, I started to look into which browser is the most secure of the basic browsers. There are more secure browsers than Firefox, but they require either a) pay, or b) a little more technical expertise, so for this week, let’s all download Firefox.

Why is it more secure? Better security tools by default. If you open an incognito window/private browsing window(see below), Firefox cuts off third party trackers automatically. Chrome doesn’t. It blocks Flash content from auto-playing. Mozilla, the non-profit that created Firefox, is an active privacy advocate (unlike Google, which needs your private data to live).

Firefox isn’t a bad browser, either. According to this recent browser roundup by PC magazine, it’s good with battery life and speed, and it’s got most if not all of the extensions you use with Chrome. I find it’s a little slow on Windows compared to iOS or MacOS, but not terrible. Plus, they released an all-private mode browser for your phone this week: Firefox Focus.

So, first task: get Firefox for your laptop/desktop computer. If you’re able to clear your cache/browser history, and open private browser windows, skip down to the LastPass section. If not, you need to learn two vital techniques from keeping your internet browsing more private.

Using Private Browser Windows When Needed
When you don’t want your browser to keep a web-page in your internet history or (in Firefox) other third party trackers looking, create a private window. This isn’t going to stop your work from tracking you, so don’t browse stupidly. But it is pretty easy to do and use in regular life. The places you need to click in Firefox are below:

Click the box highlighted by #1, then select #2 to open a private window

Clear Your Browser History Regularly
Clearing your browsing history is an important security measure, in that it keeps your browsing history away from prying eyes. It should be done regularly (some people say after every browsing session, others may be okay with a monthly clear-out), and it’s very simple to do.

In Firefox, open the menu and select History. Click Clear Recent History and clear it all out.

When asked for how long, say “Since the beginning”

You Need a Password Manager
Now that you’re using a safer browser, it’s time to secure yourself in an easiest possible ways — by using tougher passwords. This is common sense 101 on the internet even if you’re a boring citizen who has nothing to hide except your credit card numbers and SSN. But I also know that it’s hard to remember tough passwords. That’s where password managers — apps/browser extensions that store passwords and remember them for you — come in.

There are a gazillion password managers. Most are fine. But this is easy security fixes, so right now, if you don’t have one already, go to lastpass.com and get LastPass Free. Download it to your computer, your tablet, and your phone now. Add it to your browser by going to https://addons.mozilla.org and searching “LastPass”. Do the equivalent for Chrome/Opera/etc.

Now what?

Create a Secure Master Password
Password vaults work on the theory that you are unable to remember a bunch of hard passwords that look like your cat walked on the keyboard, so you’re better off NOT remembering those passwords, but instead picking ONE hard password that locks a “vault” full of your other passwords, which you can then copy and paste (or auto-fill in most cases) into password fields.

Password vaults also make it easier to do things like change your password a lot, use “special characters” and so on. It’s also encrypted, so it’s harder to steal than writing them down in an unencrypted file on your computer (don’t do that) or in a little book.

Your next job? Creating a secure master password/passphrase. Buffer has a great article on how to do this: https://open.buffer.com/creating-a-secure-password/

I want you to do this for LastPass now, along with linking it to an email address. You can wait to add the rest of your passwords (though IIRC, it auto-grabs a lot of them for you), but creating a secure, memorable password or passphrase is worth it. I use LastPass not only for web passwords, but to store “secure notes” that have my WiFi password and other key information so it can be copy and pasted in. Once you learn how to do it regularly, it’s easy and kind of nice to have something else remembering all your passwords.

This Week’s Homework

1. Download Firefox and put it on your computer, phone, tablet, etc.
2. Download LastPass for your computer, browser, phone, etc.
3. Create a strong master password for LastPass
4. Get all your passwords into LastPass

Extra Things To Do

1. Take the LastPass security challenge
2. Get that score up to 75% or better by updating passwords, changing old ones, et cetera
3. Make sure LastPass is working on all your devices and browsers where it’s available

See you next week!