作为您通往 Internet 的个人网关,您的 Web 浏览器是抵御恶意网站的第一道防线。如果您的互联网浏览器不安全,病毒和间谍软件(viruses and spyware)可能会感染您的计算机并损坏您的重要数据。
虽然一个好的防病毒软件(a good antivirus)确实有帮助,但最好是从一开始就阻止恶意软件的进入,而不是试图修复损坏。但是你能做些什么呢?有什么方法可以检查您的浏览器是否存在安全漏洞?
让我们试着回答这些问题。
浏览器安全是否重要?
乍一看,必须保护您的 Google Chrome(secure your Google Chrome)或Mozilla Firefox浏览器的想法听起来很奇怪。毕竟,我们的电脑上都有杀毒软件,那么担心浏览器又有什么意义呢?
但是,防病毒软件只能走这么远。这些程序专门用于清除恶意软件和病毒,但对动态在线威胁无能为力。网页上的网络钓鱼或恶意脚本等问题是浏览器要解决的问题。
此类威胁通常源于恶意插件或ActiveX插件,尽管切换到HTML5和SSL已大大降低了这些安全问题的普遍性。如今(Nowadays),您通常会通过授予错误网页的权限或使用具有弱安全功能的过时浏览器来面临问题。
测试浏览器安全(Security)性的最佳网站
检查浏览器是否存在漏洞的最快捷、最简单的方法是使用专门的浏览器安全测试。这些 Web 应用程序验证您的 Internet 浏览器处理在线威胁的能力,如果发现一切都符合任务要求,则给予确认。
可能最流行的浏览器安全测试是Qualys的 BrowserCheck 工具。Qualys是一家知名的信息安全公司,它的浏览器测试工具是检查浏览器安全配置文件的好方法。
该工具有两个版本——一个必须安装在浏览器上的插件,一个可以独立运行的Javascript版本。(Javascript)该插件对浏览器的安全功能提供了更全面的概述,因此它是推荐的途径,尤其是对于Chrome和Firefox。
Opera、Safari或 Microsoft 的Internet Explorer用户可能会发现让插件工作有点棘手,使用Javascript测试会更好。不过,它足以发现明显的安全问题。
浏览器(Browser)安全不仅仅是对抗病毒。安全的浏览器还可以保护用户的隐私免受侵犯。它可以防止恶意网站跟踪您的在线活动,从而掩盖您的 IP 地址免受黑客攻击。
( EFF ) 电子前沿基金会的工具专注于安全的这一方面。之前(Earlier)称为Panopticlick的安全测试已重命名为CoverYourTracks以更好地反映其目的。
基本上,它会测试您的浏览器以分析跟踪公司跟踪您的使用模式的难易程度。如今,浏览器(Browser)指纹识别是一个主要问题,您可以检查您的浏览器对此类跟踪尝试的脆弱程度。
SSL(安全套接字层(Secure Sockets Layer))如今已成为互联网安全的重要组成部分。它加密服务器和浏览器之间的通信,防止MITM(中间人(Man-in-The-Middle))攻击。
与任何其他标准一样,SSL会定期更新。虽然默认情况下每个浏览器都支持SSL,但您的浏览器可能无法运行最新版本(running the latest version)。如果没有SSL,您的通信很容易被跟踪或拦截,这在执行金融交易时尤其糟糕。
这就是该测试的用武之地。您只需访问该网站即可测试您的浏览器在SSL支持方面的表现。该报告列出了您的SSL版本,以及浏览器与其他TLS功能的兼容性。
停产的测试
如果您长期使用浏览器安全测试,您可能熟悉我们指南中未提及的其他流行测试。PCFlank、BrowserScope和ScanIT等(ScanIT)浏览器(Browser)测试曾经广为人知。这些扫描工具可以免费使用,并提供了一套全面的测试来检查浏览器的安全性。
不幸的是,这些测试已经停止或离线。其中一些测试仍然声称有效,但由于我们找不到任何有效的链接,因此可以安全地认为它们已失效。
您应该测试浏览器的安全策略(Security Policy)吗?
对于大多数领先的浏览器,保持更新足以消除大多数安全问题。由于过时的系统和恶意插件,浏览器的安全性通常会受到影响。(Browser)
错误配置的防火墙或受感染的RSS源有时也会使您的计算机受到攻击。这就是为什么测试浏览器的漏洞是如此必要的原因。
这些测试结果可以暴露您的互联网浏览器安全性的任何问题,让您在它们导致实际问题之前修复它们。由于这些测试是完全免费的,因此没有理由不试一试。
How to Test Your Browser’s Security
As yoυr personal gateway to the internеt, your web browser is the fіrst line of defense against malicious websites. If your internet browser is not secure, viruses and spyware can infect your computer and damage your important data.
And while a good antivirus does help, it’s always better to prevent the entry of malware in the first place rather than try to fix the damage. But what exactly can you do about it? Is there any way to check your browser for any security vulnerabilities?
Let’s try to answer these questions.
Does Browser Security Even Matter?
At first glance, the idea of having to secure your Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browser sounds strange. After all, we all have antivirus software on our computer, so what’s the point of worrying about the browser too?
However, an antivirus can only go so far. These programs are specialized for the removal of malware and viruses, but cannot do much against dynamic online threats. Things like Phishing or malicious scripts on a web page are issues for the browser to solve.
Such threats usually stem from malicious add-ons or ActiveX plugins, though the switch to HTML5 and SSL has reduced the prevalence of these security issues greatly. Nowadays, you mostly face problems by granting permissions to the wrong web pages or having an out-of-date browser with weak security features.
Best Sites to Test Your Browser’s Security
The quickest and simplest way to check your browser for vulnerabilities is to use a dedicated browser security test. These web applications verify your internet browser’s capability to deal with online threats, giving the a-ok if everything is found up to the task.
Probably the most popular browser security test of the bunch is Qualys’ BrowserCheck tool. Qualys is a well-known company involved with information security, and its browser testing tool is a great way to check your browser’s security profile.
There are two versions of the tool – a plugin that has to be installed on your browser, and a Javascript version that can run on its own. The plugin provides a more comprehensive overview of the security features of your browser, so it’s the recommended route, especially for Chrome and Firefox.
Opera, Safari, or Microsoft’s Internet Explorer users might find it a bit tricky to get the plugin working, and would have better luck using the Javascript test. It is good enough for spotting glaring security issues though.
Browser security is more than just about fighting viruses. A secure browser also protects the user from intrusions on their privacy. It prevents malicious websites from tracking your online activity, masking your IP address from hackers.
(EFF) Electronic Frontier Foundation’s tool is focused on this very aspect of security. Earlier called Panopticlick, the security test has been renamed to CoverYourTracks to better reflect its purpose.
Basically, it tests your browser to analyze how easy it is to track your usage pattern by a tracking company. Browser fingerprinting is a major concern these days, and you can check how vulnerable your browser is to tracking attempts like this.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) has become an essential component of internet security these days. It encrypts the communication between a server and your browser, preventing MITM (Man-in-The-Middle) attacks.
Like any other standard, SSL undergoes periodic updates. And while every browser supports SSL by default, yours might not be capable of running the latest version. Without SSL your communications are vulnerable to being tracked or intercepted, which is especially bad when performing financial transactions.
That’s where this test comes in. You can simply visit this website to test how your browser stands in terms of SSL support. The report lists your SSL version, along with the browser’s compatibility with additional TLS features.
Discontinued Tests
If you have been using browser security tests for a long time, you may be familiar with other popular tests we haven’t mentioned in our guide. Browser tests like PCFlank, BrowserScope, and ScanIT were once well known. These scanning tools were free to use and provided a comprehensive suite of tests for checking browser security.
Unfortunately, these tests have either been discontinued or taken offline. Some of these tests still claim to work, but since we couldn’t find any working links, it’s safe to consider them dead.
Should You Test Your Browser’s Security Policy?
For most leading browsers, keeping them updated is enough to quell most security concerns. Browser security is usually compromised due to outdated systems and malicious plugins.
An incorrectly configured firewall or infected RSS feeds can sometimes open up your computer to attacks as well. This is why testing your browser for vulnerabilities is so necessary.
These test results can expose any issues with your internet browser’s security, letting you fix them before they lead to actual problems. And as these tests are completely free, there’s no reason not to give them a try.