What are the Most Secure and Popular Web Browsers

Technology advances rapidly these days, and most of what was new and modern only ten years ago is old and outdated today. Perspective changes, as well as the devices that we use. For example, people use their phones as their computers now. Some even focus on the smartphone more than on an actual computer.

But whether it is a smartphone, a laptop, or a desktop, they still need to use browsers for surfing the web. And to do this safely, you need to increase your safety. Surfing the web without a secure browser is dangerous, even if it doesn’t seem so at first.

Everyone is out to get you, or at least your data. Your privacy is basically non-existent, and you are a target of your government, your ISP, advertisers, as well as hackers. That is why it is important to protect yourself, as well as your browsing data. And what better way to do so, than to use secure browsers?

Most of the popular browsers like Firefox or Chrome will claim that they are secure. But what does that mean? After all, they don’t exactly increase your privacy. Instead, they record everything you do. Their partners do the same through plug-ins, and even websites track you with cookies.

So, in a way, using a (truly) secure browser would mean getting rid of all these extra features. Returning to the minimalistic experience, that is probably a bit barebone, but that is how you know that you are safe. Nobody can see if there is nobody to look.

So let’s take a look at some of these secure browsers and see what do they offer.

Epic privacy browser

Epic is a very good example of a secure browser that really aims at maximizing users’ privacy. It is based on Chromium, and it really reminds you of using a simpler version of Chrome.

It eliminates all trackers and cookies after sessions, and also all of your searches go through a proxy. The company has its own servers, which means that nobody can connect your IP to your searches. SSL is a priority whenever it is possible, and you also won’t have to worry about collecting user data.

You can even achieve a full encryption, but then your speed will suffer a bit. Still, if you don’t plan on streaming a lot, it is more than acceptable as a price for privacy and security. The fact that your device might go a bit slowlier with Epic’s proxy is pretty much the only downside to this browser.

Comodo Dragon browser

There are two browsers that you can choose from. One is a Chromium-based one called Dragon, while the other is based on Firefox, and is called Ice Dragon. The best one for you mostly depends on whether you prefer Chrome or Firefox. This is important because they both try to remain compatible with those browser’s plugins and similar features.

They offer strong SecureDNS servers, and through them, you will keep your safety and anonymity. Another feature includes a ‘virtualized mode’. This mode will isolate the browser from the host system It is free, but you will have to get Comodo Internet Security to get it. That is company’s antivirus, and this might be a bad thing since not everyone is willing to do this.

The downside with this browser is the fact that it is mostly based on Chrome and Firefox. Yes, it tries to remain as secure as possible, but it still doesn’t go as far to achieve this as Epic. Still, you can experiment and see how it goes for yourself.

Brave

This is an open source browser with a lot of potentials. It is fully capable of being an alternative to big ones like Safari or even Chrome. Its main features are excellent speeds, as well as ad-tracking controls. Basically, if you worry about your privacy, it is ideal for you, since it provides you with a lot of options.

You can use it for OSX, Linux, as well as Windows. It also includes HTTPS Everywhere, and it will block cookie capture. Plus, since it is open source, its community is constantly developing it and perfecting it. The only thing that you might consider bad is the fact that is still new. However, it definitely deserves a chance.

Tor

Tor is a definition of a safe browser for many, and it has made the most effort to achieve true anonymity. It has its own network which is completely free.

As for its origin, it is a modified version of Firefox. You can use it on Mac, Windows, or Linux, and even on a USB stick.

The important thing about Tor is that it has more privacy concerns than actual safety measures. It doesn’t have any sort of anti-malware protection, for example. However, good luck to anyone who tries to spy on you when you use Tor as your browser.

It only uses HTTPS connections, and apart from that, it has an entire list of things that you should or shouldn’t do in order to stay anonymous. Downloading and opening documents that need external app is a very bad idea if you don’t want to leave a trace.

Also, the way it works, sending your data from one relay to another, makes it pretty slow. Regular browsing is fine, but streaming and downloading won’t work in most cases.

So basically, it is slow, and not very secure. However, it is probably the best privacy browser, and it is often an alternative even to a VPN. Whether it will work for you or not depends on what you want to use it for.

Dooble

Another secure browser that has Chromium as its base. Like the others, it is available for Windows, Mac, as well as Linux. However, despite its many privacy features, not everyone can use this one.

Mostly because it disables some of the interfaces that it deems insecure. This includes Javascript, as well as Flash, and it will prevent you from enjoying many websites that rely on them. It uses HTTPS, and it assumes that you wish to remain incognito from start to finish.

It will block third-party cookies, and it even encrypts your content. Dooble even allows you control over the level of your privacy for each of its tabs for private browsing. It is also very fast, innovative, and clever.

Maxthon Cloud browser

Just like Tor, Maxthon can’t exactly keep the title of ‘secure’ browser. It is more like a completely new kind of browser that is HTML5-compatible. Maxton has Chinese origins, and its design is some sort of synchronization between a smartphone and a PC. It also offers different features from other browsers.

Files on its cloud service are under encryption, and it also has AdBlock Plus as a kind of ad-protection. The cloud service is limiting employee access to customer data, which is how most clouds work. Except for Google’s, that is.

Its downsides mostly include bad explanations and documentation, and it is difficult to tell if downloading is safe. Basically, it calls itself secure, but it fails to show how exactly does it keep you safe.

HTTPS Everywhere

Granted, it is not a browser. This is a browser plug-in, which forces your browser to only use a secure connection whenever possible. You can use it for Chrome, Opera, or Firefox.

With more and more websites accepting and supporting HTTPS, this is a great way to surf the web and stay safe while doing it. Even your ISP won’t know what you are doing, even though they will tell where on the internet you are.

For a plug-in, it is definitely worth it, and it is completely free. You can try it out for yourself right now.

Cocoon browsing

Cocoon appeared in 2011/2012. All the way to 2014, it did not really have much to offer, and it was not recommended. However, recently, the company started anew, and it is now a free product with ad-support.

The security features are pretty alluring, and you can count on anti-Facebook tracking, Anonymous browser, and even encryption and WiFi security.

As its base, it has a plug-in design, and it is mostly a VPN-like service. You can choose servers like with a regular VPN or a proxy, and all you need is a free account. It is good for using unsafe PC when away from your home device.

Its security has yet to be tested properly, but you can definitely get some interesting features if you go for the paid version. One of those includes mailslots, which is a disposable email. It will hide your true address, and when you delete the fake one, you will unsubscribe from anywhere where you signed up for.

Avira Scout

Avira is an anti-virus company from Germany and its Scout’s philosophy basically leads to bundling security plug-ins in a Chromium-based browser. Still, it has a few more of its own tricks.

You get to use Avira Safe Search, as well as Avira Safe Browsing, Secure Wi-Fi, HTTPS, and even anti-tracking.
Scout seems to be modified and hardened, and new upgrades are also possible in the future.

There is a list of extensions that it will approve of, and you can’t delete the ones that are already a part of it.

Conclusion

Browsing safely deserves to be one of the main concerns today. There are way too many threats out there, and acting casually when it comes to your security is not good for you.

Your privacy is also on the line, and these browsers can help you achieve both. Sure, none of them is perfect for everything and everyone. That is why you need to decide what you need them for, and then make your choice. Hopefully, it this will help you make your browsing safe in the future.