Does it really matter what browser I chose?
About this video
Kelly explains that browser choice matters for safety. A safer browser updates frequently and automatically to close the gaps attackers look for, and has built-in protections such as Safe Browsing warnings about dangerous sites, protection against dangerous extensions and alerts about leaked passwords.
You'll be able to
- explain why automatic browser updates matter for safety.
- name built-in browser security protections.
Key words
- Browser update
- A new version of your browser that often fixes security gaps.
- Safe Browsing
- A service that warns you about dangerous sites before they reach your computer.
- Extension
- An add-on that gives your browser extra features, which can sometimes be dangerous.
Transcript
- So Kelly, we have several different options on what type of browser we use. Does it matter from a safety and privacy point of view?
- Yeah, there are a couple factors that you might wanna think about that make a browser potentially safer. So one thing that's important is how frequently the browser updates and ideally automatically updates. So attackers are constantly looking for gaps and holes where they can press their advantage.
And browser manufacturers should be looking to close those gaps and protect your computer by releasing updates with security updates in them. Another thing you might wanna consider is what built in security protections your browser has. So browsers like Chrome, use my team service safe browsing to offer malware, phishing, unwanted software protections.
And so that's basically your first line of defense. We'll be looking out for you to see if there is a dangerous site and warn you about it so you have that before it even touches your computer. There are also other things like Chrome has protections against dangerous extensions that are offered, as well as things like feature that looks for passwords that might have been leaked, so you know that you can update your password.
So thinking about what does your browser offer in terms of built in security protections can be an important role as well. - Super useful.
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