NOTE: This article is not about any of the “normal” topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is information that I believe every Internet user should know.
I believe everyone who uses the Internet needs to be security conscious. Indeed, there are scammers everywhere just waiting to take advantage of people who are not paying attention to security. However, by being aware of a few simple guidelines, it is easy to thwart the scammers.
Last week, I published a Plus Edition article entitled (+) You Can Easily Be Very Safe and Secure While Online at https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13152481. In that article, I wrote, “For the past few months I have been using an encrypted Internet connection with integrated super-secure web browser. It should eliminate most security concerns. I found it to be super-easy to install and use. Best of all, this high level of security is available free of charge.”
This week, the people who publish the free software that I described spun off a new product: the web browser used in the product I have been using is now available as a separate product. I will suggest that everyone should try this FREE web browser in conjunction with the VPN you are already using (you ARE using a VPN, right?).
There’s a good chance that you’ve heard of the Tor Browser, an ultra-anonymous browser that goes beyond common security measures. Well, in an odd twist, The Tor Project is partnering with Mullvad VPN to launch a brand new browser—the Mullvad Browser.
The Mullvad Browser offers a privacy-focused experience without the Tor Network. It’s similar to the Brave and DuckDuckGo browsers, as it features several built-in tools to help you avoid web tracking. (That said, Mullvad Browser is based on Firefox, while Brave and DuckDuckGo utilize the Chromium platform.)
Jan Jonsson, CEO at Mullvad VPN, stated, “We want to free the internet from mass surveillance and a VPN alone is not enough to achieve privacy. From our perspective there has been a gap in the market for those who want to run a privacy-focused browser as good as the Tor Project’s but with a VPN instead of the Tor Network.”
That’s right: by using a VPN plus this free web browser, you can remain safe from many (but not all) of the scammers. Any VPN service will work, and if you don’t feel like using a VPN, you will still receive several privacy protections through Mullvad Browser’s built-in extensions and pre-configured settings.
The Mullvad Browser is free and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux (it doesn’t come with a VPN). If you want to add these protections to Firefox (instead of downloading a new browser), you can simply download the Mullvad browser extension, which helps you reconfigure your privacy settings and install some privacy-focused tools. The Tor Project recommends using a VPN with Mullvad Browser.
You can learn more and even download the free Mullvad Browser at https://mullvad.net/en/download/browser.
That same web page also lists other web pages in Sydney, Australia, Singapore, and in Dallas, USA that may work a bit faster for you if you are located nearer one of those locations.