Today’s web browsers are secure, however, standard settings can pose some risks – with regard to IT security but mostly in the area of user privacy.
The following recommendations can help you use websites in a way that is even more secure and anonymous.
The recommendations explain how to do so using the Mozilla Firefox browser as an example. Other browsers are similar, and even if you cannot implement all of the described measures in every browser, the topics mentioned still provide a useful checklist.
Version history
Authors: Christoph Becker (cb), Stefan Brütsch (sb)
| Version | Date | Authors | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2017-02-21 | cb, sb | |
| 1.1 | 2017-07-20 | cb | Adjustment for ESR 52 |
| 1.2 | 2018-01-03 | cb | Content summarized and recommendation to use script blocker added |
| 1.3 | 2019-10-11 | cb | Options for secure connections added |
| 1.4 | 2020-03-03 | cb | Option to always show complete URLs added |
Sources and further information
- Karsten Neß: "Privacy-Handbuch", 2019
- Mike Kuketz, series of articles: "Firefox-Kompendium", kuketz-blog.de (2018) bzw. c't 07/2019 to 11/2019
- c't 20/2017, "Härter surfen", p. 82ff
- Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI): „Sichere Nutzung von Web-Angeboten mit Mozilla Firefox 31 ESR - BSI-Checkliste zur Firefox-Sicherheit (Isi-Check)“, 2014.
- Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI): „Technische Richtlinie TR-02102-2", 2019
- BSI (for citizens): „Machen Sie Ihren Browser sicher“.
- ghacks-user.js (github-Repository), 2019
- Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA): "Mozilla FireFox Security Technical Implementation Guide", 2019