This is a question aimed at experienced techies. I recently instaled Malwarebytes Browser Guard for Firefox (Chrome to follow). I note that it claims to have detected and blocked some 63 data-miners, trackers, malware, or scams aimed as this forum (mainly Google-analytics, admitedly). Any comments?
-
-
I'm never sure about any tool which claims to protect my safety or privacy. For example - the recent Apple advert trying to convince me that Apple communications will keep my data private. Why should I trust Apple any more than any other company or person?
Firefox seems to have tools which claim to let me know if my data has ever been subject to a data breach on a remote site. There are several tools now being activated along with Firefox - some of which may be similar to the ones you mention for Malwarebytes. In the end it comes down to trust and belief. There are no cast-iron guarantees that I can see.
Google is a problem for me. Clearly Google tools can do amazing things. I was surprised the other day when I was forced by circumstances to use a Google tool to do some typing, that it filled in the words I was about to use before I typed them - and I don't just mean obvious ones - but somewhat personalised ones. Do I trust Google? No way! -
this forum is possibly the cleanest I've seen - only one off site ref to yui.yahooapis.com (whatever that is - it calls some javascript but that is also blocked by me so not checked any funnies here) but works ok with it blockedComment
-
Checking on the statistics function in Malware Bytes Browser Guard, it is only "ads/trackers|" (over 500 of them in the past week) which it has detected and blocked in relation to this site.Originally posted by Dave2002 View PostComment
-
these may well be in the links posted by users - most don't know that any free hosting site for images mines the data of those trying to fetch images - most other personal hosted sites tend to include Google's free offer of analysing your users - ie Google can track them thank you very much - as for facebook that now installs hidden 1pixel trackers in many sites for which it presumably pays the owner - we generally dislike scam artists but the web is full of scammy industries from Google downwardsComment
-
Indeed. I have a friend who very many years ago indulged in some computer sculduggery. I hope and think he has reformed since - it was a long while ago. Even after he was banned from a computer service he managed to infiltrate it with the help of others - but seemed to think of this as an intellectual challenge to see if he could do it rather than anything else. To satisfy himself that he had achieved this, I was told that he modified the line printer driver to place a single full stop on a page of text where it would not be seen by anyone who didn't know. The one thing that perhaps he couldn't be absolutely sure of was that he put code in to delete whatever he inserted into the system after a pre-determined number of counts.Originally posted by Frances_iom View Post
He did indeed get output with the correct number of additional full stops on sheets of paper - though to be absolutely sure that his code would have been deleted would not have been possible. He was very confident of his coding ability, though.
Many of the online sites and scammers are indeed using tricks based on hidden codes and non visible pixels or characters. Some are perhaps more benign than others. Some are very malicious.Comment
-
Today, Malwarebytes is again flagging up this forum as "risky" due to vulnerability to malware attacks. I have now set Malwearbytes to treat the forum as safe. Have others experienced similar warnings of late?Comment
-
Worried about Avast: should I be?Comment
-
Didn't understand your OP ref to Google Analytics. Does it suggest we have GA installed (we haven't had for some years as it wasn't any use to us)?Originally posted by Bryn View PostIt isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
-
I think the crucial phrase is "aimed at", i.e. Google Analytics seeking access to data on the site.Originally posted by french frank View PostComment
-
Only that they constantly bombard you with upgrades or VPN offers ..Originally posted by DracoM View PostComment
-
Originally posted by Bryn View Post
Other people's installations, then. The only use we found it was that it was quite fun to see how many times the forum had been accessed by BBC computers. Now I don't think they (or we) care.
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
-
[QUOTE=Heldenleben;857740]Only that they constantly bombard you with upgrades or VPN offers ..[/QUOTE
Too right!!Comment
-
An easy way to check what's tracking you in your browser is to install the AddIn from the EFF https://privacybadger.org
It lets you pick and choose which you want per site - and go backwards if/when you block a tracker and the site breaks.
Here's my snapshot for this page
Comment
Comment