What does secure browsing mean?

Secure browsing involves the use of special security architecture to allow for Web browsing that is more protected from various kinds of cyberattacks. Secure browsing is a phenomenon supported by different types of tools offered by the makers of Web browsers and other technology companies.

In many cases, Web browsers offer specific resources for more secure browsing. For example, the Mozilla Firefox browser offers various add-ons and plug-ins to increase browser security, including items like Noscript, Adblock Plus and Better Privacy options.

Google’s Chrome browser bills itself as a secure browser that will display warnings for sites with the potential to contain malware or other kinds of cyber security problems. In other cases, Web properties such as social media platforms offer their own secure browsing features. Facebook offers secure browsing that can be implemented through the use of Facebook security settings.

In general, secure browsing means paying attention to many different controls and settings for Web browsers. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US CERT) offers a very detailed guide to securing the most popular Internet browsers. Elements of this guide include setting security to a high level, disabling items like ActiveX controls, establishing trusted zones and implementing tools to avoid potentially dangerous websites. There are also controls for pop-ups, cookies and other elements that can introduce malware or other problems through a browser. Many of these settings involve the precise ways that servers identify and handle Internet traffic, where more precise settings can help users to identify sites that are legitimate, and weed out sites that have the potential to harm them. In other words, the majority of secure browsing features apply to the kinds of interactions that support "normal" Web traffic, where a closer look at authentication and other events can help to shield users.