Compare Revisions

Learn about Firefox features that can protect you from information theft during the shopping season.

Love the convenience of online shopping but worried about identity theft? Firefox has tools to help keep your information secure. Just follow these simple tips for a safe and stress-free online experience. =Tip 1: Shop only at trusted and secure sites= Look for the padlock symbol on the address bar before submitting any private information. The padlock shows that your connection is secure, so identity thieves cannot "eavesdrop" and extract your information. Clicking on the icon on your address bar will also tell you who owns the website and who verified it. This information helps you avoid fake sites that try to trick you into giving them your information. :[[Image:Paypal - Green padlock - Mac]] For more information, see [[How do I tell if my connection to a website is secure?]] =Tip 2: Use strong passwords= Avoid creating passwords that are easy to guess, and try not to use the same password for all your online accounts. Follow [[Create secure passwords to keep your identity safe|these tips for creating strong passwords]] that are easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to figure out. =Tip 3: Protect your browsing information= When sharing a computer with others, follow these tips to keep your information, such as browsing history and logins, private: *Use [[Private Browsing - Browse the web without saving information about the sites you visit | '''Private Browsing mode''']] when shopping to prevent your history, site preferences or logins from being saved and accessed by others. ''Private Browsing'' also blocks cookies, preventing fraudsters and snoops from tracking your behavior. :{for win}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - win8]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:private browsing - fx29 - linux]]{/for} * If you forget to use Private Browsing mode on a shared computer, don't worry. You can still use the [[Forget button - quickly delete your browsing history on Firefox | '''Forget button''']] [[Image:forget button gray]] to quickly delete your recent information without affecting the rest. :[[Image:forget controls]] * Use a [[Use a Master Password to protect stored logins and passwords | '''Master Password''']] to protect your stored login information. This prevents other people from using your saved login information to access your accounts on a shared or stolen device. {note}Avoid using a public computer on an open wireless network, like at a coffee shop, computer lab or library. Open wireless networks will still put you at risk of information theft. If you must use a public computer on an open wireless network, then you can use a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network Virtual private network (VPN)] for more safety. Always use a [https://www.ecloudbuzz.com/top-5-best-free-public-dns-servers/ Public DNS Server] for better online security at DNS level.{/note}