How to Stay Safe While Online

Hello, I've written an article which has advice on How to Stay Safe While Online. Please look it over and let me know what you think of it.

I know that there's a near infinite number of ways to stay safe, and even more ways not to stay safe, but I am trying to at least cover the basics. I'd really appreciate any feedback you have.

Thanks.

 

My only issues with the overall great post is that 1. Chrome privacy is both a hotly debated and actually not very well proven subject. The security arguments for it (built in and sandboxed Flash, a sandbox for the browser, auto-updates etc), strongly outweigh any extraordinarily small privacy issues that were in the browser in the past. Google privacy issues are not the same as Chrome issues. 2. ScriptNo for Chrome is basically dead, and was never really well attended to by its author in the first place. Other than that, nice work

 

Thank you very much.

I will look into the Google Chrome privacy allegations more closely.

Also, do you have a favorite alternative to ScriptNo. I had originally advocated NotScripts, but found it more difficult to use. I was under the impression that ScriptNo provided much the same protection but was easier to use.

I'd really appreciate any advice you could provide.

Thanks.

 

ScriptNo is still miles ahead of NotScripts. NotScripts provides virtually no protection, ScriptNo seems to.

 

ScriptNo is a good alternative to NoScript in Chrome.

but it's performance are sluggish compared to NoScript.
and NoScript hasn't had any updates since mid February this year.

 

Don't you mean NotScript hasn't had updates since then? I got Notscript and ScriptNo mixed up, sorry about that OP. I really don't even use any script blocker when in Chrome.

 

my bad.
i meant ScriptNo.

 

Okay, so unless someone tells me otherwise I think I'll continue to recommend ScriptNo.

Also, I've been looking into the potential problems with Google Chrome and I have found this source and this source talking about the potential privacy problems with Google Chrome. That said, they really don't seem that severe. However, I have nearly no faith in the company behind Google Chrome. Google itself has had multiple problems with privacy. Please see these criticisms of Google's commitment to privacy.

Thus I think I'll continue to advise that people not use Google Chrome, but my reasoning has changed. I just can't bring myself to trust Google with anything privacy related.

Let me know if you have any other concerns or advice about the article.

Thanks.

 

Your sources for Chrome privacy issues are way outdated. This subject has come up numerous times here at Wilders. Again, you need to separate Google company policy from technical issues with the browser if you want to be seen as balanced. That being said, it's your choice as to whether you recommend Chrome or not. Discussing who is right and who is wrong about Chrome privacy is a dead horse that needs no more beating.

@Moontan: So ScriptNo also has not been updated in months? In my eyes that makes it useless as well. I personally wouldn't recommend any of the NoScript alternatives for Chrome in that case. My sole opinion.

 

I'd like to add something to your list, OP. We just got called from "Microsoft Tech" asking us to run event viewer because they were receiving many errors coming from my system. They asked me what I had downloaded, etc. They said they could help me fix my issue if I ran the event viewer (it's after this that the fun begins, they ultimately want to remotely access your system and/or get your personal details and tell you to buy their scam software to fix said issue). I told this Indian guy that MSE, they're own damned product, said I was clean, and that if they got I had a malware infection from Event Viewer from where they were, they were magical!

It's an old, old scam, and folks should know:

1. Microsoft can't even do things like that

2. Microsoft never makes unsolicited calls to you or sends unsolicited emails.

This was actually the first time I've ever had one of these tried on me. Funny to me, terrible for less technical people who realize this sort of thing can't be done.