What Are The Most Secure Web Browsers In 2018? The internet is a dangerous place. Internet security is a branch of computer security specifically related to the Internet, often involving browser security but also network security on a more general level, as it applies to other applications or operating systems as a whole. Maintaining your security and protecting your anonymity on the internet is arguably one of the hardest things to pull off when you're browsing the web.
The online world is a place where it’s best to be cautious. A good way to do that is to ensure the security of one of the biggest targets of cyberattacks: the browser. Hackers will first try to find vulnerabilities in the most used tool to access the internet. Of course, you don’t want that, so we’re taking a look at which web browser is the most secure.
Before we get to that, here’s what a browser needs to be secured against.
The most common attacks are malicious URLs. They link to webpages designed to host malicious code that uses exploits and run processes inside the browser in order to gain access to the operating system.
Bad scripts can also be part of a trusted website, making the attacks even more devious. Plugins and extensions are not technically part of the browser, but they are part of the online battlefield. Targets for exploitation include Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader, Java and ActiveX. Malware can also be masked as a plugin, but browsers can block them and warn you when you try to install a suspicious one.
Breaches usually happen in order to bypass protection and display advertising, collect personal information (for marketing or identity theft), web analytics (data about how you use the web), generating likes on Facebook (likejacking) and installing adware (malware which displays ads), viruses and spyware (e.g. Trojan Horses).
How to Tighten Your Defenses on Most Browsers
Before you do anything else, update your browser. Users get notifications when browser updates are ready and just a click away. Configure your browser security and privacy settings so that you feel comfortable with them. Important settings include blocking malicious sites and third-party cookies, disabling Flash, blocking pop-ups and turning off tracking.
Keep in mind that no browser is completely secure, no matter the security architecture. In fact, studies have shown the weakest link in the security chain is the user. There’s no substitute for using reason while browsing. Please note that even using any of our best VPN providers won’t protect you from being silly while on the web.
Of course, browsers haven’t stopped improving their security. They could all plausibly claim they are safe for the average user. The differences come down to slim margins. To see what prevents unwanted breaches, let’s dive into what makes good security for the browser.
What Makes Web Browsers Secure
Like antivirus software, browsers rely on patching vulnerabilities to ensure security. Unfortunately, most patches are rolled out after hackers have poked and prodded the browser. Ultimately, it’s always a race between the developers and hackers. Reviewing how quickly developer patch and update the browser is crucial (the bigger the team, the better).
Even updated browsers differ in how they approach security. That’s evident in their security architecture and features.
Browsers can consult a blacklist, such as the Google Safe Browsing service. It provides a list of URLs that contain malware or phishing content. Most popular browsers use this service (excluding Comodo Dragon, which has its own secureDNS) to filter out unwanted URLs.
One prominent piece of security architecture that modern browsers use is a sandbox, an isolated environment for the browser that limits access to your operating system. Even if a vulnerability is exploited, the sandboxed environment should keep malware contained.
Let’s see how the most popular browsers for desktop and mobile, and some of the obscure ones, fare in update frequency, URL protection and quality of architecture.
Browser Security Features: the Most Important
While browsers tend to compete to have the most innovative features or open pages the fastest, but they all take a similar approach to security. Here, we’ll compare them and see who does it best.
Update Frequency
Chrome checks for updates every five hours. Patches and updates roll out every couple of days. Top marks for Chrome’s development team.
Firefox got a big update with Firefox 58 (“Quantum”). It wasn’t perfect and a critical vulnerability was found in January. Mozilla quickly released an update. The security of its users is one of Mozilla’s goals and it vows to ship patches in less than a day.
Internet Explorer always had a rocky relationship with security, but its latest version is closer to the industry standards and still receives updates. IE11 gets patches every 30 days or so, which doesn’t compare well to the more popular choices.
However, previous versions aren’t supported anymore and Microsoft has moved away from IE11 as it promotes Edge, claiming the new browser is quicker and more secure. It seems to get updates every month or so, which are bundled with Windows 10 updates.
Apple’s Safari is more popular on mobile devices with an 18.1 percent of the market share, but its desktop version also receives timely updates. No more than 15 days pass between them.
Opera is a veteran browser, even older than Internet Explorer, that is now based on Chromium. Releases tend to be a minimum of two weeks apart, but smaller updates roll out faster.
Vivaldi is also based on Chromium and it’s built by formerOpera devs. The open-source browser might have a small share of the market, but, with the help of community coders, its update cycle is not far behind the big boys.
Comodo Dragon has a variable cycle of updates. It used to be updated less frequently, but recently the development team started to release updates every two weeks (sometimes even faster).
We have Chrome in the lead, with Firefox, Safari and Opera a tiny step behind. Others tend to have slow or intermittent update cycles. Keep in mind that the more obscure browsers are not a big target like the popular ones, so they benefit from security by obscurity.
URL Protection on Chrome (and Chrome Derivatives)
Chrome has protection against deceptive sites and malware turned on by default. It will notify you when a site contains malware, is actually a phishing site or isn’t secure. Firefox, Safari, Opera and Vivaldi all consult the same service as Chrome: Google Safe Browsing.
IE11 uses SmartScreen Filter. Similar to Google, it prevents you from opening URLs leading to malicious or compromised sites. Microsoft Edge benefits from it as well. Edge also uses Windows Hello technology that authenticates both the user and the website.
Comodo Dragon uses its own DNS servers to filter websites in real-time. It does so by consulting a block list and it will warn you whenever you try to enter a harmful website. Keep in mind that if you’re far away from Comodo’s DNS servers your connection will slow down. On top of that, Brave Shields help protect it from malware and phishing. This feature also filters sites by consulting a block list.
Sandboxing
Chrome was one of the first to use a sandbox and the technology has matured. Google’s browser uses a modular architecture that places the complex rendering engine (the piece that uses HTTP to communicate and display pages) in a low-privilege sandbox. Each tab gets its own.
That way the engine can’t communicate with the operating system.
Firefox 54 finally introduced sandboxing and updated it for Linux last year in order to match Windows security features. The same update improved the security walls of the sandbox, making it more difficult for attackers to breach the rest of the system.
Internet Explorer has a feature first introduced with IE7 that isn’t strictly a sandbox: the Enhanced Protection Mode. It still protects against malware reaching the system if it manages to use an exploit and run malicious code. Your personal information is also safe until you grant IE permission to access it.
The Microsoft development team made sure Edge didn’t support ActiveX, which improved its sandbox. They reduced the amount of code that hackers could look through to find vulnerabilities. This resulted in a sandbox custom-made for Edge (not just any process like before).
Mac OS has the App Sandbox, which is enforced at the operating system level. All apps distributed through the Mac App Store must conform to it, including proprietary software like Safari. The OS also sandboxes Safari’s built-in PDF viewer and plugins.
Opera, Brave and Comodo Dragon are all based on Chromium, so it’s safe to assume they all rely on its native sandbox implementation. They haven’t shared information about their specific methods.
Sandboxing has become an industry standard, so it’s not going to be the deciding factor in determining browser security. Regardless of which browser you use, you can be sure that there’s a sandbox to safeguard your system.
Secure Browsing on Mobile
Mobile versions of the browsers mentioned previously mostly correspond to their desktop versions in terms of security. Of course, they are not exactly the same, as mobile requires additional ease of use features. We want to see ad blockers, but you can’t install them for mobile browsers.
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You need to rely on those that have ad-blocking integrated and, out of those mentioned, only Brave, Chromium and Safari do. The three can also block cookies and tracking. On top of that, Brave integrates HTTPS Everywhere by default and blocks scripts.
Ad-blocking, along with blocking analytic and social trackers, is also available on Firefox Focus. Plus, every session is in private mode. Aloha Browser also features an ad-blocker, along with its own VPN to protect your privacy. It’s a tough combo to beat.
Final Thoughts
In the end we feel the best option for desktop is Google Chrome. Its update cycle is fast and its sandboxing technology is mature. It also has excellent tracking and malware protection. For many of you, this validates your choice as Chrome is the most popular browser. If it’s not yours, however, you might want to give it a try.
For mobile, we decided to go with Brave because of its excellent blocking features and https connections. Chromium was a close second.
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While most browsers get updates and patches quickly, they aren’t completely safe. They also take different approaches to privacy. The best way to complement browser security and privacy is to use a virtual private network. Dedicated VPNs arguably provide better security and privacy than integrated do. To make it easy for you to decide which to use, we compared the best VPNs.
Do you have a favorite browser that you feel is secure? Do you agree with our choices? Write in the comments below. Thank you for reading.
What Are The Most Secure Web Browsers In 2018?
The internet is a dangerous place.
Internet security is a branch of computer security specifically related to the Internet, often involving browser security but also network security on a more general level, as it applies to other applications or operating systems as a whole. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet represents an insecure channel for exchanging information, leading to a high risk of intrusion or fraud, such as phishing, online viruses, trojans, worms and more.
Browser security is the application of Internet security to web browsers in order to protect networked data and computer systems from breaches of privacy or malware. Security exploits of browsers often use JavaScript — sometimes with cross-site scripting, sometimes with a secondary payload using Adobe Flash. Security exploits can also take advantage of vulnerabilities that are commonly exploited in all browsers. Including the most popular browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera, and Internet Explorer (or Edge).
Whenever a browser communicates with a website, the website (as part of that communication) collects some information about the browser to process the formatting of the page to be delivered. If malicious code has been inserted into the website's content (or worse, if that website has been specifically designed to host malicious code), vulnerabilities specific to a particular browser can allow this malicious code to run processes within the browser application in unwanted ways. Once an attacker is able to run processes on the visitor's device, exploiting known security vulnerabilities can allow the attacker to gain privileged access (if the browser is not already running with privileged access) to the 'infected' system in order to perform an even greater variety of malicious processes and activities on the machine or even the victim's entire network.
Breaches of web browser security are usually for the purpose of bypassing protections to display pop-up advertising, collecting personally identifiable information for either Internet marketing or identity theft, website tracking or web analytics about a user against their will using tools such as web bugs, Clickjacking, Likejacking (where Facebook's 'like' button is targeted), cookies, installing adware, viruses, spyware such as Trojan horses or other malware including online banking theft.
Vulnerabilities in the web browser software itself can be minimized by keeping browser software updated - and this is the minimum you should do. It is important to use a secure web browser that is updated. Today, there are numerous browsers available, some popular, but not all secure. Indeed, many browsers are getting faster, have a better browsing experience, increased privacy, and so on, but in our opinion the top priority should be security. In the article below, we take a look at several secure browsers for 2018.
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Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 by members of Netscape. Built for people, not for profit, as they say. The Mozilla community uses, develops, spreads and supports Mozilla products, thereby promoting exclusively free software and open standards, with only minor exceptions.
Mozilla Firefox is a good, open source browser that is regularly receiving updates. It is user-friendly and lightweight. You can install many privacy add-ons to the Mozilla Firefox web browser and the recently released Firefox 57 'Quantum' version includes a built-in Tracking Protection feature. This feature uses a list to identify and block trackers. To make Firefox as secure as possible, you need to change some settings and install additional add-ons.
Mozilla Firefox now includes a new feature called Containers that enables you to keep parts of your online life separated into color-coded tabs that preserve your privacy. Cookies are separated by container, allowing you to use the web with multiple identities or accounts simultaneously.
Another consideration is that the Mozilla organization has the resources to develop new features and increase its functionality continually and regularly patch security flaws as they are discovered.
In summary, Firefox is a good choice if you want to use a secure browser and is probably the best privacy browser solution available. It is free and available for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android users. You can download Mozilla Firefox here.
Waterfox
Waterfox was started back in March 2011 by Alex Kontos, a 16-year-old student. WaterFox is a web browser based on Firefox, and is generally similar in terms of appearance and features. Waterfox is a 64-bit version of Firefox. The browser's developers modified the Firefox source code specifically for machines running 64-bit versions of Windows.
Like Mozilla, Waterfox is an open source browser and also has the Tracking Protection feature and supports both legacy Firefox add-ons. It has does, however, some differences with Mozilla Firefox, such as disabled Web Runtime, removed telemetry, data collection and startup profiling. It also has disabled Encrypted media extensions and pockets. It might be not the perfect browser due to stability issues, but this is not a major problem, since this affects only a minority of users. In summary, this is a good web browser, which incorporates the latest Firefox security patches.
Waterfox is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. You can download Waterfox here.
Brave
'A browser with your interests at heart'. Brave is open source, and built by a team of privacy-focused, performance-oriented pioneers of the web, founded by the inventor of Javascript and co-founder of Mozilla. It claims to block website trackers and remove intrusive Internet advertisements. The browser also claims to improve online privacy by sharing less data with advertising customers.
This is a lightweight browser with good performance and as fast as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Most of this browser's features are focused on security, privacy and safety. It has an integrated ad-blocker and 'Do not Track' feature, both of which are enabled by default. Therefore, websites cannot track users' activities and keep data records. Note that the Brave browser lacks support for extensions. There is, however, a security-related reason for this: some extensions could be malware or other types of unwanted software. Brave decided to not to provide support for extensions from the outset. Despite this, it is perfectly adequate for casual browsing.
Brave is focused on safety and security when browsing - if these are your priorities, this browser may be the best choice. Brave is available for Windows 7 and later, Mac OS 10.9 and later, and Linux. It also includes HTTPS Everywhere integration, blocks cookie capture, features a good ad-blocker. It is a relatively new browser, but has an active developer community, which is always improving the browser. You can download Brave browser here.
Comodo Dragon
Comodo Dragon is a freeware web browser based on Chromium and produced by Comodo Group. It has a similar interface to Google Chrome, but Dragon does not implement Chrome's user-tracking and some other potentially privacy-compromising features, substituting them for its own user-tracking implementations. It provides additional security measures, such as indicating the authenticity and relative strength of a website's SSL certificate. Essentially, it includes all Google Chrome features but provides better privacy and security when surfing the web. It supports add-ons and plug-ins, which makes Comodo Dragon a user-friendly and convenient option. Despite these advantages, Comodo Dragon might conflict with other software (including browsers) in certain situations, such as when syncing or importing data from another open browser. The Comodo Dragon browser is available on Windows versions such as Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP. This browser could be a good alternative to Chrome, especially for users who value enhanced security and privacy. You can download Comodo Dragon here.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is a web browser developed by Microsoft and included in Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile and Xbox One, replacing Internet Explorer as the default web browser on all device classes. With each major Windows 10 release, Edge improves. Windows 10 Fall Creators Update alone included dozens of major and minor browser updates. It has good performance, even faster than Google Chrome. Thanks to Windows Defender SmartScreen, Edge can detect malicious sites and phishing better than Chrome. Also, Microsoft Edge does not support ActiveX, so it is able to run entirely inside app container sandboxes at all times. Since the beginning, Microsoft Edge has used several app containers. In other words, browser processes are isolated from the rest of the system, so site code cannot interfere with the rest of the computer's operations or other programs.
Regarding privacy, Microsoft Edge has the 'Do not Track' feature. It will send Do Not Track requests to websites when the Send 'Do Not Track' requests setting is turned on. Despite this, websites might still track your activities even when a 'Do Not Track' request is sent. Edge includes the InPrivate mode and, thus, browsing info such as cookies, history, and temporary files are not saved on your device after your browsing session has ended.
Compared to Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge have very similar security features, however, Microsoft keeps a better list of bad websites than Chrome. In summary, Edge is worth consideration and is mostly a pleasure to use. The only way to get Edge on your operating system is to use Windows 10.
Tor
Tor stands for 'The Onion Router'. The Tor network is a group of volunteer-operated servers that allows people to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. Tor users employ this network by connecting through a series of 'virtual tunnels' rather than making a direct connection, thus allowing organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.
When you connect to Tor, all of your Internet traffic is encrypted and routed through a complex network of anonymous nodes until it reaches its final destination. Users use Tor to keep websites from tracking them and their family members, or to connect to news sites, instant messaging services, etc. This web browser hides your location, IP address, and other identifying data when surfing the web. Its main purpose is to protect your identity online. It is not 100% secure, however, no security solution is. The downside of Tor is that it is slower than other browsers.
Many people use Tor specifically for anonymity, but that does not mean that it is illegal. So, choosing this web browser is a good option if you prefer anonymity/privacy while surfing the web. Tor is available for Windows & Mac users. You can download the Tor browser here.
No browser is perfect. While some of these web browsers offer maximum safety from malware, others ensure the best privacy settings and can help you to become anonymous online. There is no 100% safe and secure all-in-one browser, but you can select a browser that has features that specifically meet your needs. The browsers mentioned in this article ensure the maximum possible protection from cyber criminals - choose the one that seems the most convenient for you.