How Do You Browse The Internet?

This article was published last year, however, some of the content has had to be updated to reflect recent policy changes made by some of the companies mentioned.

If you do a search on the question above, in Google, you will find lot’s of explanations on which browser you should be using and why, however, this assumes that you even know what a browser is.

Historically, for many years, Microsoft argued that the web browser was part of the operating system, so if you used MS Windows, you could just accessed the Internet. Since MS Windows had such a large installed user base, this has resulted in a significantly high number of people growing up, without an understanding of what it really is.

The “browser” is actually a very complex and powerful software application that runs on your PC, or smart mobile device.

Google Chrome currently has over 5 million lines of code. Alternative browsers all have numbers similar to this, so it should give you an idea, that it’s not a trivial application.

As soon as there was a desire to include video and audio into information shared on the Internet, the size any complexity of browser software skyrocketed.

To give you the “best user experience” and “convenience”, your browser is now able to connect to virtually all systems on your home PC or portable smart device. This includes: the microphone, camera, speakers and storage devices.

The Price Of Convenience

So when does this become a problem?

• The average person is not aware that private information is being shared worldwide.
• Cybercriminals understand that this software is the weakest link between themselves and profit. With over 5 million lines of code it becomes trivial to find a way to exploit programming errors and create a link between their malicious software and your PC or smart device.
• Large corporations like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, etc. know that the more that they can understand your online behaviour, the better they can personalise your online experience and therefore offer very targeted advertising.
• Governments (like China) and now many western countries are now able to filter information you get the see.

If there is doubt in your mind about what information is being shared to the websites you visit. Check out this site, as it’s sole purpose is to show you what are revealing about yourself when you are browsing. It’s should be a wake-up call for anybody reading this.

deviceinfo.me

Your whole online experience is like looking out a window of your house and opening up the door with a “welcome” sign.

Now Arm Yourself With Knowledge

Knowing that there is problem is your best defence. Rest assured that you don’t have to completely give up your current level of convenience, in order to have a reasonable online experience. You just need to follow the following steps. I have been doing this for the last 5 years and can attest to it’s effectiveness. Implementing any of these steps will help, but for maximum effectiveness, you should consider implementing them all.

• Replace your current proprietary operating system (MS Windows, Apple MacOS, etc.) with an immutable version of Linux. There are many to choose from. An example is Fedora Silverblue.
• Use any of the browsers that are NOT offered by Microsoft, Apple or Google, on their websites. Good examples are Brave or Librewolf. There are many out there but I use Brave myself on all my devices.
• Set the “search engine” to DuckDuckGo or Brave. Note that in 2024, Brave are now using their own data sources rather than using Google or Bing. Both of these search engines do not track your online activities. Feel free to give both a spin and pick your favourite.
• Look at all of the “Settings” in your browser and turn OFF the ones, like location services or anything else that offers convenience or statistics gathering.
• Turn off Javascript.
• If you do not do any purchasing of goods online, then turn OFF cookies. Cookies are technically only a requirement for ensuring that a browser can securely complete an online transaction. Cookies are also required to access government and corporate services that need be accessed online.
• Turn OFF your “browsing history” in the “Settings” of your browser.
• Even if your operating system is only updated infrequently, always UPDATE your browser as soon as it is offered to you. This usually occurs daily and that should not be a surprise, now that you know that it is probably the most complex piece of software on your PC or smart phone.

Now Give Your House Key To Only People You Trust

The first thing you will notice, when you follow these counter-measures is that you will constantly be nagged when you visit various websites, suggesting that you have certain settings turned off and can go no further without turning them back on. The second thing you will notice is that you will not be allowed to visit some websites at all. The third thing that you will notice is that you cannot do online purchasing on some sites, despite allowing cookies.

I have had to “allow” specific banking, or business online sites, in the Brave settings to be able to conduct normal business on the Internet. Yes it’s inconvenient, but this is the price that you need to pay for some level privacy and a whole lot better security.

Doing this is exactly the same as giving your house key to only people you trust.