Dallin Duffy* says a study looking at six major internet browsers found some interesting privacy differences.
In a recent study, Microsoft Edge and Yandex tested worse than other popular browsers for security, including Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari.
Although popular browsers like Chrome, Safari and Firefox didn’t receive perfect scores, those worried about browser security and privacy might want to stay away from Edge and Yandex.
Browser security is important for all internet users, especially considering that a secure browser is one of the major lines of defence against computer malware and other dangerous breaches.
It is not uncommon for popular browsers to suffer from vulnerabilities, and these instances are usually followed by an update rolling out to devices in a bid to patch the issues.
However, some issues go on for longer, and some browsers are generally considered less secure than others overall.
The study by Trinity College Professor Douglas Leith, and spotted by The Register, analysed six browsers (Chrome, Brave, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Yandex) to measure their connection to back-end servers and find their overall security and privacy.
The findings split the browsers into three groups ranging from the safest to least safe.
Brave was alone in the safest group, with Chrome, Safari, and Firefox in the middle group.
That left Microsoft’s Edge and Yandex Browser as the two least safe.
Leith noted that they both “send persistent identifiers than can be used to link requests (and associated IP address/location) to back end servers”.
He added that there was no way found to disable this in user settings, meaning it’s just something you’ll have to deal with if using these browsers.
Further, Edge was seen to use other Microsoft products in the background, even if you didn’t intend to.
For example, it sends any and all browsing history to Bing, recording every letter typed in the URL bar.
Once you do get to a site, it sends two more requests with one going to “web.vortex.data. microsoft.com”.
Protecting yourself from your own browser
While the study highlights some of the issues with browsers, it was not particularity thorough and therefore it is difficult to generate firm conclusions from.
Likewise, other studies will likely turn up varying results further, adding to the issue of which browser is safer than any other.
Finding the right and most secure browser for one individual could mean taking into account many factors that most average users might not be aware of.
If you do use this study to help your search, and you’re currently using Microsoft Edge or Yandex Browser, it might be worth looking into a VPN, or perhaps changing the browser altogether.
Switching to Brave, which was found most safe, could be worth a shot if you’re earnest about internet security.
While Chrome, Safari and Firefox were all hit with some worrisome claims (although less than Microsoft Edge and Yandex), a VPN or antivirus might not hurt either.
* Dallin Duffy is a freelance writer.
This article first appeared at screenrant.com.
