5 Browsers for Security-Conscious Web Users

Your Web browser is a gaping security hole that can make your valuable computer data susceptible to malware. In fact, Palo Alto Networks published a review in 2013 showing that more than 90 percent of malware slips in undetected by way of the browser. If you are a devotee of popular browsers like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, you should know that there are other secure and privacy-friendly alternatives to use for surfing the Web. Here are five of them.

4 Privacy-Friendly Extensions for Browser

Understanding Malware and Other Security Threats

AirGap

Developed by Spikes Security, the browser AirGap keeps malware at bay by creating a separate virtualized session for each user and browser tab session, effectively safeguarding the user’s machine from malicious scripts by rendering and streaming the virtualized web content accessed by the user. This highly secure browser does not allow malware to execute, so you can browse webpages without compromising the security of your online data.

Comodo Dragon

Comodo Dragon offers a moderately protected browsing environment. When installed, this browser comes with its own Adobe Flash version. Comodo Dragon has Webinspector, a tool that helps weed out suspicious URLs and phishing sites. It is also equipped with PrivDog for blocking ads, third-party cookies, and web-tracking codes. Import your bookmarks, passwords, and settings from the other browsers you use. To add another layer of security, you can also opt to use Comodo’s DNS services.

Dooble

With its helpful tools and menu options, Dooble offers a moderately secure browsing session by disabling JavaScript by default. You can also opt to install its secure messenger and email client. It works like other popular browsers, offering support for tabbed browsing sessions, bookmarking, and integrated privacy options. Compared to AirGap and Comodo Dragon, however, Dooble is not as secure.

Iron

Designed by SRWare, Iron is a fully customizable browser that provides Web users more anonymity compared to the standard anonymity level they can get from the likes of Chrome v32. It is designed to provide privacy to your browsing session instead of securing it from malware. The Iron browser uses DuckDuckGo as its default search engine provider, so your search history is not saved somewhere.

Safepay

Created by the online security service provider Bitdefender, Safepay is a browser specifically designed for securing financial transactions such as online banking and shopping in e-commerce sites. Bitdefender touts Safepay’s ability to protect against malware, phishing sites, fraudulent websites, and keylogging attempts, as well as unauthorized access to your network when you connect to the internet through Wi-Fi.