Until recently, some online security guides rightly advised not to use Internet Explorer as a browser to browse the internet because it is the least protected and the most affected by viruses. Today it is no longer so and indeed, Internet Explorer is a very safe browser, perhaps even safer and more secure than the main competitors Google Chrome and Firefox (which, however, remain better because they integrate many more functions and extensions).
From the point of view of privacy and security, surfing the internet with IE is a happy choice because there are some very effective options that must be activated manually, in particular the monitoring protection (tracking list) and the smartscreen filter .
As already done for Chrome and Firefox, we now see the privacy and security options in Internet Explorer .
1) Suggested sites
Internet Explorer automatically sends your browsing history to Microsoft if the suggested sites option is enabled.
Microsoft saves your browsing history and compares it with a list of similar sites that are recommended to the user.
Internet Explorer displays these similar sites as suggestions when the relevant button is pressed on the bookmarks bar.
If you want to disable this feature and not share every site you visit with Microsoft, click on the gear icon on the right and enter the Internet Options .
On the Advanced tab, look for where it says " enable suggested sites " and remove the cross.
Click OK and Internet Explorer will keep your browsing history private.
2) Tracking Protection Lists
Internet Explorer detection protection allows you to install customized lists that contain the addresses of the sites from which to avoid tracking the visit .
Monitoring protection is turned off by default and must be enabled in the options.
Click the gear button and then go safely> protection from monitoring .
It basically blocks all cookies and scripts from sites that have privacy implications, like extensions known for Firefox like Noscript do.
Detection is prevented both if the user visited these websites, and when there is code embedded in other sites.
Basically it prevents tracking by dangerous sites and those with invasive advertising.
By default, there are no pre-configured lists that can be activated on the internet explorer therefore, most users do not use them.
If you want to surf with Internet Explorer while maintaining your browsing privacy, you can install external lists recommended by Microsoft itself on the Tracking Protection Lists page .
Just a click on one or more lists to proceed with the installation (after enabling monitoring protection from security options).
Among these yes
- EasyList : a list of protection based on EasyPrivacy for Adblock Plus (famous extension for Chrome and Firefox).
- PrivacyChoice : with two lists that include company and advertising sites used by 300 and more platforms.
- TRUSTe : prevents the appearance of strange advertising banners, instead leaving the relevant advertisements of companies that have proven respectful of user privacy.
Monitoring protection is a great feature for those who want total security on Internet Explorer.
3) The SmartScreen Filter is present both in IE8 and in subsequent Internet Explorer.
This is a security feature for blocking unsafe websites in advance .
When you visit a website, Internet Explorer sends the address to Microsoft which checks that it is not blacklisted.
To maintain maximum privacy, you can disable the smartscreen from the menu Tools -> security .
If, as recommended, you want to surf safely, you should keep the smartscreen filter enabled.
If you disable it, you can always manually check a website by choosing the "Check website" option in the security menu.
Thanks to the smartscreen filter many experts, after conducting some security studies, believe that Internet Explorer is the safest browser of all and, probably, they are right.
4) Search suggestions
The search suggestions feature in Internet Explorer sends everything you type in the address bar to an external server of the default search engine.
It responds by displaying search suggestions in a drop-down window.
If desired, search suggestions can be deactivated by pressing the link below the list.
5) Cookies
Advertising networks and other websites often use cookies to track users online.
Internet Explorer settings regarding cookies are in the Internet Options -> Privacy tab.
By default, privacy is set to medium.
If you want more privacy, you can set the maximum level and block all cookies.
Navigation will be much less fluid and it is not possible to register on websites but you can be sure that no information will come out of the computer without authorization.
6) The security tab of the internet options can be used to permanently block visits to particular websites.
To further increase the security level of IE, set a Medium-high level and then change the following settings by clicking on the " custom level " button:
- Disable XPS documents
- Disable "run unsigned components with Authenticode"
- Disable all ActiveX controls
- Disable the download of files
- Disable the download of fonts
- Disable "Allow web pages to use restricted protocols for active content"
- Disable "view mixed content"
- Disable "MIME Analysis"
- Disable "Send unencrypted form data"
- Deactivate "user data persistence"
- Disable all "script execution" options except "XSS filter"
Alternatively, you can switch to " high " security settings, which however are even more restrictive and can block many useful web applications.
These settings are recommended if the internet is used by inexperienced people who often fall into dangerous sites unwittingly.
Also in the security tab, you can use the function of trusted sites and restricted sites .
for example, you can put a high security but include some websites considered safe to trusted sites (see how to Enable the ActiveX filter on trusted sites in Internet Explorer) or, conversely, you can set a low security and include dangerous sites to the list of restricted sites.
For this purpose, I recommend installing Spyware Blaster to block spyware and dangerous sites on Internet Explorer.
7) On Internet Explorer some sites can be completely blocked using parental controls and activating the verified content in the Content tab of the internet options.
Unfortunately, the verified content is based on the classification of ICRA sites, an organization that no longer exists and whose list is no longer updated.
However, you can use the function of approved sites that allows you to create a list of websites that are never viewable.
Just type in a URL, and click on the " always " or " never " option.
8) With Internet Explorer you can also:
- Surf the internet privately
- Empty the browser cache and delete cookies
Remove the toolbars and uninstall menu bars
