Share:
Popular browser rolls out new feature to protect your privacy
Browsing the web privately isn’t as easy as it used to be. In the past, it was possible to make due with a few software tools and by avoiding social media. But nowadays, your search engines build ad profiles about you. Meanwhile, social networks follow you around whether you’re a member or not.
Suffice to say, the internet is a lot less private than it used to be. Thankfully, there are still new programs and services you can use to keep your connections private. Tap or click here to see the benefits of using a VPN.
But what if you’re not tech savvy? All the digital tools in the world won’t do you any good if they’re too complex to understand or use. Thankfully, a new feature being introduced on one of the most popular web browsers can automatically protect your connection any time you visit a website. Here’s how it works.
Mozilla introduces DNS encryption for all users
We’ve regularly touted Mozilla Firefox as one of our favorite browsers here at Komando.com. In fact, we’ve even recommended it to our readers a handful of times as one of the most privacy-focused browsers you can use. Tap or click here to see how Firefox handles cookies.
And now Mozilla aims to cement Firefox’s reputation even further. A new update announced on Mozilla’s blog will add DNS encryption as a default setting to the Firefox browser. This means every site you visit will have its connection encrypted when locating website domains.
Here’s a quick rundown in layman’s terms: DNS (or Domain Name System) is how the internet connects human-facing website names (like Komando.com) to IP addresses, which are the computer-facing side of a website’s address.
IP addresses are nothing more than a string of numbers, and it’s up to the DNS to match an IP address to the correct domain name.
DNS is one of the oldest parts of the internet’s architecture — and not a very secure one at that. By default, DNS lookups aren’t encrypted or protected, which means a malicious actor could hijack or redirect your DNS to take you to fake websites. Tap or click to learn the risks of DNS hijacking.
But with Firefox’s new update, all DNS lookups will be encrypted by Mozilla. This prevents anyone from interfering with you accessing a website, and has the potential to cut down on hacking and phishing attempts globally. Best of all, this upgrade is free and will soon be available to all Firefox users.
How can I get my hands on this new DNS encryption update?
Mozilla says it plans to roll out the update over the next several weeks to make sure there are no issues that crop up for users. This means not everybody will get it at the same time, and that it may arrive spontaneously to your browser without warning.
Regardless, DNS encryption is more of a behind-the-scenes update that won’t look completely obvious to you while you’re using it. But even if you can’t see it, the encryption will be doing important work for your security in the background.
Firefox is commendable for caring enough about privacy to add new features like this. If other companies followed suit, our internet could become a much safer place to browse and interact with one another.
Of course, data is money. And what good are pesky little things like “privacy” and “dignity” when there are profits to be made? Tap or click here to see how Facebook is getting rich off your data.
Tags: connections, DNS, domain name system, encryption, hacks, Mozilla Firefox, privacy, programs, search engines, security, services, social media, upgrades, web browsers
Share: