Brave Browsing: Essential Security Tips for Safeguarding Your Online Experience

Security

The landscape of cybersecurity is witnessing an ever-evolving series of threats, with a marked increase in cybersecurity incidents that present new and complex challenges. The previous year saw a record number of 493.33 million ransomware attacks globally, showing just how vast our digital security risks have become. The cost of cybercrime is projected to increase by $2.5 trillion over the next 2 years. This only highlights the need for robust security measures.

Brave Browser is the answer to these modern challenges, but even it is not omnipotent. By applying additional security measures, you can significantly improve your cyber defenses. Brave browser security tips will help you with this.

How to Safeguard Online Experience?

1. Set up Brave Shields

Have you become familiar with Brave browser’s standout feature, the Shields? This powerful tool is the cornerstone of Brave, providing robust defenses by thwarting trackers and ads, preventing fingerprinting, and promoting the use of HTTPS to secure your connections.

While the default configuration already ensures substantial security and privacy, consider beefing up these settings for an extra layer of safety, particularly when navigating through suspicious websites.

Activating and managing the Shields function is seamless—simply click on the Brave Shield icon in your browser’s address bar. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive control panel, just enter `brave://settings/shields` in your address bar and hit Enter to customize your shield settings to suit your needs.

2. Complement Brave with a Good VPN

Think about it, is Brave Browser safe? Compared to other browsers, yes, it is more secure. Overall, it exposes us all to more vulnerabilities. You can significantly reduce your risk if you use VeePN for Brave and encrypt your data. VeePN can fill the gap in protection from hackers, and Brave can prevent data collection. This combination shows the best results.

3. Block Social Networks

In today’s digital era, data is often compared to oil of the 20th century – incredibly valuable and extensively traded. Companies now view personal information as an asset, leading to its rampant collection and sale.

Social networking platforms are particularly notorious for their data practices; however, they’re not the only reason to maintain a distance from social media. It’s fortunate, then, that the Brave browser offers a user-friendly solution to this pervasive issue.

For those seeking to mitigate their digital footprint, Brave’s ‘Social Media Blocking’ feature is a sanctuary. Navigate to this option by scrolling to ‘Social Media Blocking’ within the settings menu, or simply enter `brave://settings/socialBlocking` into the address bar. By the way, even a free VPN with reasonable use of social networks can prevent data leaks. But you will have to set social networks to maximum privacy mode.

4. Don’t Forget About Private Mode

Brave stands out as a distinctive web browser in several ways, particularly for its integration of Tor — a privacy-focused service. To use Tor within Brave, simply choose “New private window with Tor” from the menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Alt+Shift+N.

Tor, which stands for The Onion Router, is a project committed to online anonymity. It routes user traffic through a network of volunteer-run nodes, which conceals users’ locations and usage from anyone conducting network surveillance or traffic analysis.

When you use Brave’s private window feature to connect with Tor, it masks your IP address from the sites you browse. This level of privacy also stymies internet service providers from tracking your online activities. However, there’s a trade-off: Brave’s performance may take a hit, running slower than normal. This lag occurs because your online traffic is transmitted through multiple relays within the Tor network, each step providing a layer of encryption for heightened security.

5. Configure Security Settings

To optimize your online security further, delve into the privacy and security configurations of your Shields. Start by clicking the icon with three horizontal lines located at the top-right corner of your browser. From the dropdown menu, select ‘Settings’, and then proceed to the ‘Privacy and Security’ section. If you prefer a shortcut, enter `brave://settings/privacy` directly into your address bar.

Once you access the ‘Privacy and Security’ options, you’re empowered to adjust the settings to suit your preferences. Take control by heading to the ‘Cookies and other site data’ subsection. Here, you have the choice to instruct Brave to automatically delete all cookies every time you exit a browser window. Additionally, consider enabling the feature that dispatches a “Do Not Track” request alongside your browsing traffic, thereby enhancing your online privacy.

Final Thought

Switching web browsers might seem daunting at first. We tend to get comfortable with the one we’re accustomed to, finding the transition to a new platform somewhat jarring, even with the similarities of many browsers share.

Nevertheless, the move to Brave represents a savvy choice by any measure. Brave stands out in terms of enhanced safety, greater privacy protections, and superior speed relative to the bulk of browsers available. However, the journey to a more secure and private browsing experience doesn’t end with installation.