DIGITALSECURITYGUIDE

Tips for Secure Browsing with Google Chrome
These settings can be accessed through Chrome’s “Advanced Settings” menu or by navigating to “chrome://settings/."

Enable phishing and malware protection: Make sure that Chrome’s phishing and malware protection feature is
enabled under the “Privacy” section. This feature will warn you if a site you’re trying to visit may be phishing or
contain malware.
Turn off instant search: The Instant search feature should be turned off for optimal security. While it offers some
convenience in searching, having this feature enabled means that anything you type in the address bar is instantly
sent to Google.
Don’t sync: Disconnect your email account from your browser under the “Personal Stuff” tab. Syncing your email
account with your Chrome browser means that personal information such as passwords, autofill data, preferences, and more is stored on Google’s servers. If you must use sync, select the “Encrypt all synced data” option and
create a unique passphrase for encryption.
Configure content settings: Click “Content settings” under the “Privacy” section and do the following:
• Cookies: Select “Keep local data only until I quit my browser” and “Block third-party cookies and site
data.” These options ensure that your cookies will be deleted upon quitting Chrome and that
advertisers will not be able to track you using third-party cookies.
•. JavaScript: Select “Do not allow any site to run JavaScript.” It is widely recommended that JavaScript
be disabled whenever possible to protect users from its security vulnerabilities.
•. Pop-ups: Select “Do not allow any site to show pop-ups.
• Location: Select “Do not allow any site to track my physical location.”
Configure passwords and forms settings: Disable Auto fill and deselect “Offer to save passwords I enter on the
web” under the “Passwords and forms” section. Doing so will prevent Chrome from saving your logins,
passwords, and other sensitive information that you enter into forms.
Tips for Secure Browsing with Mozilla Firefox
These settings can be accessed through the “Options” menu.
Configure privacy settings: Under the “Privacy” tab, complete the following steps. These measures ensure that
Firefox is storing only as much of your information as it needs to function normally.

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