[octoberasian]

Web Browser Flaw that can expose your browsing history

(Note: If you don't care about or wish to ignore this issue, stop reading now.)

A recently discovered flaw which presently exists in all web browsers allows websites to see your browsing history. This exploit would allow a website to know where you have been and what sites you have recently visited.

As reported by the Associated Press, this "history sniffing" would have the potential to do the following:

"The information is valuable for con artists to learn more about their targets and send them personalized attacks. It also allows e-commerce companies to adjust ads or prices — for instance, if the site knows you've just come from a competitor that is offering a lower price."

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn...ience-security/

At present, the only way to prevent such tracking methods is found in the latest versions of Google Chrome and Apple's Safari web browsers which have automatic protections against this kind of snooping. Firefox is reportedly to have this included by the next browser version of Firefox-- Firefox 4. (You can download the latest version in beta form at the moment here.)

Internet Explorer does not have this fixed or a protection against it and Microsoft advises using the Private Browsing mode which will prevent the browser from saving the user's web browsing history. (At the moment, I don't know if IE 9, which is currently in beta, has this automatic protection.) Current versions of Firefox 3 will need a plugin to enable a similar private browsing mode. An example plugin is this: Private Browsing Add-on. Be advised that private browsing may prevent or limit functions of certain websites that need cookies to track sessions or remember log-in information.

EDIT:

You also have the option of deleting your web browsing history before or after you use Firefox 3 or IE7/IE8.

Firefox:

Tools > Clear Recent History...

Select "Browsing and Download History"

IE7/IE8: (Should be similar.)

Safety -> Delete browsing history...

Select "History"

[IoriYagami]

Wow. This makes me glad I actually do this for Firefox.