What Is the Most Secure Mainstream Browser? - JPKee.com
The battle for the best desktop browser will never be settled. There are those who will always swear by Google Chrome; others who hold Safari up as the clear winner; and even some who have stuck by Internet Explorer (IE) despite constant press negativity.
Even defining the qualities for what constitutes as “The Best” is difficult, though it often simply comes down to user experience.
But which is the most secure? Of course, all will boast having superior protection — but in 2017, which is the browser of choice for the security- and privacy-conscious?
What Is “Mainstream”?
Let’s set out some ground rules. If we were to open this up to all browsers, we’d be here forever and no conclusions would be made.
For those not tech-savvy, we’re not rating operating systems (OS), mobile
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or otherwise. This isn’t about Linux
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or Mac or Windows desktop. We’re solely concentrating on which browser you’re using to explore the internet.
This is designed for all levels of expertise — meaning we won’t cover VPN services like Tor because relatively few actually use that.
Instead, we’re focusing on the most popular six. Those are, at the time of writing: Chrome (59.61% market share); Internet Explorer (14.18%); Firefox (12.85%); Edge (5.15%); Safari (5.08%); and Opera (1.27%). Again, we’re looking solely at desktop, but even if we include smartphone and tablet browsers, Chrome still comes out on top. However, Safari naturally sees a huge increase, thanks to it being the iPhone browser, putting it in second place.
We’re going to look at each of these in turn, listing them in order of market share.
This isn’t a popularity contest: let’s find out which is the most secure!
Google Chrome
Google is renowned for its solid security measures, which probably accounts for a considerable number of users downloading Chrome. It’s fair to say the rest just became used to it after dissatisfaction with IE. With an almost 60% market share, millions use Chrome. A wealth of those accessing the web through different gateways no doubt still use Google as a search engine
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too.
All in all: the majority of people use, and therefore trust, Google.
But are they right to?
Sandboxing
Let’s introduce you to a concept that we’re going to keep coming back to, but which Chrome arguably does best: sandboxing.
Essentially, sandboxing is damage limitation. This is a safe space isolated from other areas of your computer: what happens in the sandbox stays in the sandbox — unless, that is, it’s something you’ve allowed to have wider effects.
Any page or tab opened on Chrome is sandboxed so it can’t adversely affect your OS or any other app you’re running. If one website is unresponsive, those loaded on other tabs should still carry on as normal. Equally, if you encounter an unsafe site, any potential viruses won’t impact the rest of your PC. Once you close the page, the unsafe site is gone too.
The same goes for extensions. Flash, though flawed
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, is an extensively-used add-on, allowing you to watch videos and play games on the web. Because it’s popular, however, hackers aim to exploit it. Fortunately, Chrome sandboxes this too; any issue with Flash won’t trouble any other part of your OS.
Think of it like television
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. No single channel affects another. Don’t like what you’re seeing on NBC? Just “close” the channel by turning over. Simple.
We’re certainly not saying that Chrome is the only service to use the sandboxing method
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. Your smartphone does too, as long as you’re solely using the official app stores
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. Any browser that uses the open-source software provided by the Chromium Projects
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includes sandboxing. But Chrome is the browser that uses the original source code.
A Proviso about Sandboxing
If you use Chrome, you might be questioning why you’ve had viruses in the past. If everything’s sandboxed, you should be fine — right?
Sadly not.
Malware, including ransomware
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, is held back by the unique environment, but the second you download anything, you leave yourself open to any flaws. You allow something to make changes to your PC. This might be adding a PDF
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to your Documents, or it could be having malicious code running in the background.
That’s why email providers let you view attachments online: that way, anything you view is contained. Downloading anything is only advisable if you know for sure that everything’s okay.
More Good Stuff
The sandboxing process is widely used, so that’s fortunately not the only edge Chrome has on other services.
You’ve probably visited a site and seen a pop up, warning that the site could harm your computer. That’s Chrome’s Safe Browsing
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, which alerts you of anything it suspects contains malware or phishing. The same goes for Google Search: when listing results, unsecure options will be accompanied by a similar monitory.
Chrome also defaults to the most secure settings without negatively impacting your experience. In the address bar, it’ll tell you whether a site is secure (i.e. if it has SSL or TLS certificates
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), and clicking on that padlock or “i” symbol will tell you more about your connection. It’ll advise you whether you can safely submit sensitive information, for example, followed by a list of general permissions.
On default, it will allow the loading of images, JavaScript, and Background Sync. For all others, like accessing your webcam, microphone, and location, Chrome will ask you whether this is really something you want to do.
All of these are customizable, but rest assured that you don’t need to do anything to these settings to improve security or usability.
The best thing about Chrome, however, is its updates. With major security patches issued every 15 days, Google is the fastest mainstream browser to respond to vulnerabilities. Any browser that checks whether fixes must be applied so regularly should be applauded.
Furthermore, developers are always keen to push new Chrome extensions
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. While this isn’t the place to talk about those add-ons, taking 10 minutes out to personalize your browser can significantly tighten protection.
Reporting Exploitations
In the latest two-day hacking contest, Pwn2Own, hacking collectives attempted to exploit (and so expose) vulnerabilities in major browsers. In 2016 and 2017, Chrome came out on top, with no hackers able to crack it in the allotted time limit.
It doesn’t mean that no one could eventually carry out a successful cyberattack, but it remains a good sign that Chrome is a very strong contender.
Add to this the fact that the Chromium Projects has a Chrome Reward Program. Set up in 2010, Google offers monetary incentives
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to anyone who exposes a vulnerability and reports it to them, instead of exploiting the flaw.
If a full report is made, the standing reward money is up to $15,000. That total is to anyone finding fault in the sandboxing process, though other prizes remain for smaller issues including bugs in third-party components.
Patches for any problems would then be issued via updates.
Are There Any Negatives?
Naturally. Nothing is impervious.
One of the things acting against Chrome is its popularity. You might question the logic of this argument, but because it’s used by so many, it’s the biggest target. In 2016, Chrome had the most discovered vulnerabilities (172, compared to Edge’s 135). The statistic doesn’t account for the severity of flaws, how fast they were patched, or, of course, how many remain undiscovered on other browsers.
Similarly, a patch may be issued, but that doesn’t mean users are updating their settings. This is a problem shared by all mainstream browsers, and Chrome isn’t the worst affected. Still, around 50% don’t update.
Yet it’s very easy to do! Just click on the vertical ellipses at the top right, then Help > About Google Chrome. It should automatically update. It takes a few seconds to do, and will require relaunching. Don’t worry about losing any pages, they’ll be saved.
We might applaud the browser’s security measures, but it doesn’t have an entirely clean record. You know what we’re talking about: privacy.
They go hand in hand, don’t they? Google isn’t trusted with privacy
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.
The technology giant collects masses of data about its users, and such details can be used to generate personalized adverts. No, it doesn’t matter if you use private browsing
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at all. Between Gmail, YouTube, and search terms, Google collects a lot of information
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.
Realistically, there are a lot of services that collects and sells on your data. Should you be concerned
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? Your mileage will vary. Lots of people are troubled by Google, but happily post to Facebook
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all the time. It’s up to you. If you’re that worried, we recommend a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
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and a search engine that doesn’t vacuum up details.
Internet Explorer
It’s time we moved onto another very popular browser. It’s something of a laughing stock
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, although still boasts a market share of 14.18%, in second place behind Chrome
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. Yes, it’s Internet Explorer.
It’s an oldie, but is it a goodie…?
Is There Anything Good?
It’s dead. Support for all version of IE except the 11th version has been stopped, and as for the final iteration, it’s only a matter of time.
It’s still hanging in there. You’ll even find it hidden on Windows 10. Microsoft actively wants you to switch to Edge
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, and the migration will be gradual — that is, if users stick with the company and not find another browser to use.
Saying that, if you’re on IE11, you get updates every 30 days. Or thereabouts. Frequency will drop, and won’t return to more acceptable levels.
Plus, it’s supported by your PC’s OS, so when setting it up, it’ll recommend you use Windows Defender SmartScreen
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. This checks suspicious websites and apps with Microsoft, and so protects you from a fair amount of malware. You can also blacklist sites you definitely don’t trust.
Another bonus is its transparency in showing you your security and privacy settings. Just click the cog at the top right, then Internet options. A box will appear that lets you flit between numerous tabs, but the second and third should take your attention. Here, you can see your Trusted and Restricted Sites, and then toggle the security actions taken. You can also benefit from Protected Mode, which isolates untrusted sites and add-ons, and so limits the harm they can do to your PC. It’s IE’s sandboxing, basically.
Then in the Privacy tab, you can tick a box to stop sites requesting locational data, and change settings for InPrivate Browsing and the Pop-up Blocker.
This Doesn’t Sound Too Bad
It’s not awful. IE has a terrible reputation, hence why Microsoft is in the process of killing it off in favor of Edge. But maybe it’s not as eye-wateringly bad as you’ve heard.
And this is still Microsoft we’re talking about, so you’re covered by the firm’s Privacy Policies, which are pretty similar to Google’s. Both internet giants can make money from your data, so it’d be naïve to think they wouldn’t on ethical grounds.
Still, it’s going the way of the dodo. There’s no denying it. In 5 years’ time, IE will be a relic of the past. Some would argue it already is…
Why Should You Avoid IE?
It might not seem terrible, but you should still avoid IE.
The aforementioned settings that give you extra control over your security and privacy don’t default to the most secure options. It’s customizable, so you must take matters into your own hands. This is especially bad as those using IE will likely not be as tech-savvy as those who have transferred to Edge or indeed another browser altogether.
The core problem, however, is the lack of updates in the near future. For now, Microsoft recognizes the considerable 14.18% market share and still pushes security patches. That won’t last. It can’t. It’s a redundant system. You should be informed when support ends, but keep an eye on MakeUseOf just in case.
In 2016, 129 vulnerabilities were discovered on IE; this will surely rise as more sophisticated malicious software is unleashed online. The ongoing concern isn’t just that more flaws will be found, but more so that fewer outlets will even bother reporting them.
If you’re not using IE11, you really need to update the version you are using, or switch entirely. IE11 is only compatible with Windows 8.1 or newer, so you’re stuck with an older, unsecure IE if you have an earlier OS.
In that case, you definitely need to change browser.
Firefox
The number of people who still use Firefox is dropping, yet it still holds a 12.85% market share.
Indeed, there are plenty of good reasons you should use Firefox
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, whether that’s in conjunction with another browser or in isolation. It takes up less memory, for instance. You may worry about Google’s seeming monopoly on the internet, so find comfort in the fact that Firefox’s developer, Mozilla, is not-for-profit.
But how good is it when it comes to your security and privacy?
Applauding Firefox’s Mission
We’ve already noted that, if you’re security-minded, it’s very likely you also care a lot about your privacy. Frankly, we all should. That’s why Firefox is great.
Mozilla’s raison d’etre is in fighting for your rights, and giving you control over your own personal information
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. The company collects very few details and doesn’t sell anything on. This is achieved through Firefox’s Private Browsing with Tracking Protection. It’s an in-private mode that really is private, stopping sites and add-ons that wish to collect data about you from doing so.
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, Firefox deletes everything once you close the page. Facebook sharing plug-ins create shadow profiles of even non-users
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; Firefox further blocks any trackers embedded in sites.
Firefox is the only browser to do this automatically. That’s a fantastic thing.
Again, this feeds back into the fact Mozilla is non-profit. Google can benefit from personalized adverts, for example, whereas Mozilla won’t:
“We believe the Internet is for people, not profit. Unlike other companies, we don’t sell access to your data. You’re in control over who sees your search and browsing history. Choice — that’s what a healthy Internet is all about!”
It’s a solid ethic that we should all get behind.
The Sandboxing Problem
Created in 2002, and widely released two years later, Firefox’s architecture was somewhat out-of-date, just as with IE. The latter was replaced by Edge, but Mozilla didn’t need to completely replace its browser because Firefox has a pretty good reputation. The thing it needed to address, however, was sandboxing.
Tag that 1 friend who always has WAY too many tabs open.
(Then open as many tabs as you like. We can handle it.) https://t.co/4XpYwHPunH pic.twitter.com/oaqrNm3ZxV
— Firefox ? (@firefox) October 20, 2017
Right now, sandboxing is key. It’s that added peace of mind; after all, everyone slips up sometimes and experiences a bug that could affect your wider OS. It’s even how smartphones work, limiting the impact one app can have over anything else.
The fact that Firefox didn’t implement such security measures was worrying. But Mozilla listens to its community: since 2009, it’s been developing Project Electrolysis, and has been slowly phasing in the sandboxing method since August 2016. It took so long because it had to retroactively preserve the compatibility of extensions.
In Firefox version 54, released in June 2017, the feature took full effect.
The Electrolysis multi-process technique is different from any browser based on the Chromium Projects’ source code. Whereas Chrome’s sandboxing sees new processes created for each new tab, Firefox enforces a four-process limit. That doesn’t mean you can only open four pages. Instead, any further content will effectively leach off the power used for those first core processes.
Why? It’s all about memory usage
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. The more tabs in Chrome, the slower your browsing is likely to be. While there will be some lagging, Firefox splits the energy needed more succinctly.
In effect, you get the same advantages of sandboxing, but your experience will be a lot faster.
Other Security Features?
Elsewhere, Firefox boasts the most impressive update times.
Major updates are typically issued every 28 days or so, but minor patches are rolled out more frequently than that, depending on the vulnerabilities. Google is quicker with large-scale updates; Firefox is quicker when it comes to tweaking settings.
This is due to the fact it’s independent open-source software. The code is accessible, so you can check there’s nothing malicious going on under the hood.
It’s also worth noting that you can supplement Firefox with plenty of extensions that tighten up any potential security problems. The NoScript Security Suite is a great example of this: it restricts executable content like Java
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solely to trusted domains. Media add-ons like Flash, too, come with added sandboxing, so if a video crashes, the rest of your page won’t be affected.
Any Problems?
Firefox is obviously as susceptible to vulnerabilities as other browsers, with 133 discovered in 2016 alone. Their repercussions, however, pale in comparison to the browser’s update times.
In 2016, Firefox didn’t seem worth hacking any more, at least if we look at that year’s Pwn2Own contest. Hackers didn’t attempt it at all. Brian Gorenc, manager of Vulnerability Research at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said:
“We wanted to focus on the browsers that have made serious security improvements in the last year.”
Now, it’s a serious contender again. As such, in Pwn2Own 2017, the browser proved impervious to a few cyberattacks — but caved into one exploitation. We expect a patch was soon issued.
As ever, it’s up to individual users to download the upgrades. Around 33% of Firefox users aren’t running the latest version… and in some cases, that might mean users don’t benefit from the sandboxing-like multi-processing method.
Still, Firefox has come a long way in just a few months, and it can hold its own against other browsers.
Microsoft Edge
Anyone with Windows 10 will have Edge on default
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. This probably accounts for its 5.15% market share.
Microsoft is urging users to migrate from IE to Edge. Based on security alone, is it a good move?
Does Its Newness Affect Security?
As the newest mainstream browser in this list, Edge is yet to pass the greatest test of all: time. That’s how Chrome has got where it is now; it’s simply braved the storms and reacted in a prompt manner to any vulnerabilities.
This much is evident from the exploitations discovered in its debut year. In 2015, a considerable 270 vulnerabilities were exposed — that’s more than Chrome, IE, Firefox, and Safari. You might expect that number to decrease considerably in the following year…
And that’s exactly what happened, fortunately! 135 were discovered in 2016, literally halving its total. It’s applaudable. Then again, of those aforementioned mainstream browsers, it’s second-place only to Chrome in the number of flaws. We should now reinforce the fact that discovered flaws doesn’t mean any other browser doesn’t have more potential issues to exploit; it just means they’re yet to be found.
Its recentness does perhaps give us some hope. Microsoft is keen to push Edge as the future
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, so you’d expect the firm to keep a watchful eye for any issues.
Indeed, it took over a year to add extensions during the Windows 10 Anniversary Update
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, so it at least appears that Microsoft is properly vetting add-ons.
Basically, Edge is new, and that both works in its favor and against it.
Does It Have the Edge?
Edge is one of Microsoft’s highest priorities, and so it enjoys a lot of care. As you might expect, updates are frequent. It receives patches two or three times a month, so as long as you’ve got your eye on the ball, problems will be ironed out early in the browser’s life.
2017 internet minute
156 million emails
16M texts
900,000 @facebook
452,000 @twitter
342,000 apps
70,000 @netflix hours pic.twitter.com/PvDME154zc— ITEdgeNews.NG (@ITEdgeNewsNG) October 22, 2017
Support will lessen over time, but again, that’s purely because right now, its freshness proves an interesting challenge to cybercriminals intent on finding new means of exploitation.
It does have another thing going for it, and you might be getting déjà vu here: sandboxing. It doesn’t make Edge stronger than other browsers, but does at least level the playing field. It’s what we expect nowadays.
Further taking a cue from Chrome’s Safe Browsing, IE introduced a Phishing Filter. Later renamed SmartScreen
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, it’s since been improved upon and integrated into Edge. If you try to access content that it suspects is riddled with malware, a warning screen will appear. You can’t miss it: it’s bright red and it’s tough to bypass.
This is because the site has been reported as unsafe. In late 2016, cybersecurity experts, NSS Labs tested over 300 examples of malware and phishing on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. The latter’s SmartScreen blocked 99% of these, compared to Chrome’s 85.8% and Firefox’s 78.3%. That’s fantastic because it means Microsoft’s list of sites reported as unsafe is extensive.
Obviously, Edge has an in-private mode. Your browser won’t store passwords, contact details, or any other data passed collected using cookies. That keeps your stuff hidden from other people using your computer — but advertizers can still track you. Microsoft can still profit from selling on your data, so don’t expect the secrecy awarded by Firefox or VPNs.
Anything Bad to Consider?
Certainly if you’re wondering whether to replace IE with Edge, you should do so. The latter is superior in pretty much every way. Unfortunately, roughly 75% of IE/Edge users are still running out-of-date versions. That’s a big problem.
The real concern right now, however, is that Microsoft still has a lot of work to do. Despite claiming Edge is the most secure browser, it came bottom of the pack in the Pwn2Own 2017
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contest. Yes, really.
Numerous hacking attempts were, admittedly, unsuccessful. Nonetheless, five attacks worked — which is actually worse than its performance in the 2016 competition, which saw only two exploitations.
It’s supposed to boast security features to rival Chrome
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, and yet the two came out as polar opposites. Sure, some of these vulnerabilities might be hangers-on from IE, but Microsoft can’t rely on sandboxing and good press to keep Edge secure. At least with those five vulnerabilities exposed, patches have (presumably) been applied…
Safari
Millions use Safari every single day. Aside from being the default browser on iPhones and iPads
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, it’s installed on Macs. This accounts for its 5.08% market share (though that increases significantly if we factor in iPads and iPhones).
The majority of us trust Apple’s security — even questioning whether you need a security suite on handheld devices
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— but is Safari all it’s cracked up to be?
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Safari comes as an installed browser on Apple products, and many stick with it for that reason alone. It is the most natural fit for Macs, though Chrome is a good option too. Well, arguably at least
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.
This is because Apple uses the WebKit rendering engine
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across all its software. As we’ve previously mentioned, apps on an iPhone are sandboxed as a form of damage limitation; it’s why you need to give permission to apps to access your Camera, Photos, and sharing via social media. This is also the case for the browser.
That mindset is common throughout Safari: it’ll require permission to execute most actions, either on a case-by-case basis or based on permissions you can toggle en masse in settings.
Still, Apple’s a business, so some personal information will be used for personalized adverts etc. Safari has all the features you’d expect from a security-conscious browser.
Why Safari’s 54-Day Update Program Isn’t a Problem
Apple issues major updates every 54 days.
Compared to other browsers, you might be shocked to hear it takes quite a while for considerable patches to be rolled out. However, there are two ways of looking at this.
Optimistically, fewer vulnerabilities are typically found than on Chrome, IE, Firefox, and Edge. In 2016, just 56 were discovered. Yes, that’s a lot, but in comparison to Chrome’s 172, it’s commendable. Before that, 2015 was a bad year: 135 problems were identified, yet Safari remains, year-on-year, the browser with the fewest known vulnerabilities.
Less frequent patches seem okay if there are less flaws to fix in the first place.
Conversely, taking 54 days to issue major updates is troubling. At least smaller patches are rolled out more often.
And this is another solid reason why intermittent updates is a good thing. Currently, around 33% of Safari users are running an older version; compared to the other mainstream browsers, this is the smallest percentage, in line with Firefox.
Users are surely more likely to install new versions if these are issued more irregularly. We’d definitely prefer to update Safari than Edge, considering the latter works in conjunction with Windows. An inconvenient system restart is needed to finalize the installation.
Reasons Not to Use Safari
All of this is in opposition to those headlines you might have read recently about Safari having more vulnerabilities than even IE.
Google’s Project Zero team publicly analyzed security on the five main browsers. They used Domato, an automated tool with around 100,000,000 iterations. It’s a costly thing, but cybercriminals could easily get reimbursement.
This revealed 31 potential exploits in total across Chrome, IE, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. Chrome came in top, with just two flaws; closely followed by IE and Firefox (4 in each).
Shockingly, 17 of these bugs were found in Safari.
Project Zero’s Ivan Fratric noted:
“Apple Safari is a clear outlier in the experiment with significantly higher number of bugs found. This is especially worrying given attackers’ interest in the platform as evidenced by the exploit prices and recent targeted attacks.”
You might rationalize it: Google carried out the test, so of course Chrome would come in 1st Place. Nonetheless, the results were conclusive; those flaws existed. Since then, patches have been issued. It remains a concern, as the test exposed problems with WebKit — and that’s the basic architecture for all Apple products.
Safari fared badly at the Pwn2Own 2017 contest too, with numerous successful hacking attempts across the three-day event. Some did fail, so Safari is still preferable to Edge at least.
Opera
You might already have come to a decision on which browser’s the most secure.
But Opera’s 1.27% market share means it’s the sixth most popular.
It’s not over until the fat lady sings…
The Link Between Opera and Chrome
Released just a few months before IE in 1995, Opera is the oldest of the mainstream browsers on this list. It’s also the one with the smallest market share. But don’t let either of these things put you off
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.
Opera was feeling its age in the late 2000s, but it completely revolutionized itself in 2013. This was simply by taking on the same source coding as the Chromium Projects. Effectively, it has the same security as Chrome — notably that crucial sandboxing method. It also checks SSL/TSL certificates, making sure your connection is secure and genuine.
Even trusted sites can have dodgy elements like scripting issues. That’s why Opera has added malware protection, blocking anything it detects could harm your PC. The ad-blocker comes automatically downloaded, and makes your experience safer and faster.
Customization is ideal too. You can add a load of great extensions, and, after some setting-up time, you can add Chrome ones to Opera too
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.
So far, so good.
Why Choose Opera Over Chrome?
You might be reading this thinking that Opera sounds like a less-popular Chrome. So why bother switching
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? I’m glad you asked. There’s a very good reason.
Opera has an in-built VPN
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!
This is a proxy server that makes your connection to sites much more secure by encrypting data
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sent between the two. VPNs are arguably essential when you’re inputting sensitive information like when you’re doing online banking
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. That’s why any genuine site that needs such data uses encryption (look for the “S” in “HTTPS”
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).
But VPNs are also handy because they prevent cookies, and it’s harder for cybercriminals to hack connections. It’s definitely something you should make use of when using public Wi-Fi
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: that’s a mine-field!
Oh, and you can bypass blocks. There are other ways to access restricted material
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, but having a VPN streamlines the process
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.
It’s a free, unlimited service. As long as you’ve got Opera, and it continues to be supported, you’re fine. It’s not automatically applied, however: you need to toggle stuff a little bit. All you have to do is go on browser settings, then Privacy and security > Enable VPN. That activates the VPN service on everything you do through Opera, but there’s also an option to use the tunnel
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solely when on in-private browsing.
Anything Bad You Should Know About?
There’s not a lot to criticize. It’s not an entirely logless service
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, so yes, Opera does collect some personal information on you. This might be your email, IP address
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, device maker, and screen resolution.
Data is shared between third-parties, ergo add-ons, and Opera. The browser’s focus on privacy is aided by the VPN service, but comes second to Firefox purely because it does collect some information.
Opera also automatically updates, so you don’t need to trouble yourself with making sure the latest version is installed. Saying that, updates are issued every 48 days — more frequent than Safari, but falling behind all others listed above. It’s a less popular browser, so you could argue that it’s granted some security through obscurity (STO); should that sway you? Not especially. Nor should the fact it’s not open-source. It does, at least, explain the comparatively slow update times.
Because its structure is based on Chromium, Opera wasn’t a contender at the Pwn2Own 2017 event, but based on all we’ve heard, maybe it should be in the 2018 contest…
A Final Word on Downloads
In most cases, your OS already has a browser installed as default. If you’ve got a new version of Windows, it’ll be Edge; for Mac users, you’ll have Safari. Most Linux desktops have Firefox preinstalled.
Whichever you have, you’ll probably want to try out another. Hopefully this article will have tempted you. That requires you use the default browser to find the one you actually want. (Sometimes, you have to wonder how many folk have only ever used IE to get Chrome.)
The most important thing is to get the correct download. This is where malware — ransomware, for instance
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— can come from.
And so, for the sake of brevity alone, here’s where you can download Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, and Safari (for Macs only).
What Is the Most Secure Mainstream Browser?
It’s conclusion time. We’ve looked at the six browsers with the top market shares, and yes, others are available
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. However, you don’t need to seek out anything obscure.
Right now, the most secure browsers are Chrome and Opera. They use the same techniques, and, rather pleasingly, are respectively the browsers with the biggest and smallest market shares on this list. If you’re used to one, try out the other; we’re sure you’ll be impressed.
You could pay for a fancy VPN service
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. Or just get a free one by using Opera. But if you like some convenience (i.e. cookies to remember your usernames), go with Chrome.
Firefox is also a very solid browser, and we love Mozilla’s focus on privacy. It has vulnerabilities, but so does every other browser. That includes Safari — not as invincible as some would have you believe, but still pretty good.
If you’ve still got IE, you definitely need to upgrade to Edge. It’s superior, merely for the frequent updates Microsoft will continue to push.
And there we have it. All in all, five of the six mainstream browsers boast a good deal of security, but Chrome and Opera come out on top.
One final reminder, though. A common factor you need to remember. Keep your browser updated.
Thanks for sticking with us. How do you feel about our findings? Which browser do you currently use and why? Are you tempted to switch to a different one? Let us know in the comments section below!
Image Credit: _nav_/Depositphotos
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Author - Vikash Kumar
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