An add-on has just been created for the Firefox browser that helps web users spot situations where their user names, passwords and private data might be intercepted on the internet. German researchers came up with the idea to make browsing - and sharing information - online a bit safer. The add-on can be easily installed by any Firefox user.
The problem is that a lot of interactive sites remain unencrypted, recognisable by the insecure "http" in the address bar instead of the secure "https."
While the website owner might be honest, criminals could be intercepting the signals when you tell such an insecure site who you are.
To help combat the problem, researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt developed PassSec+ for Firefox. By using the add-on, users get a notification every time they are asked to enter personal information at a site.
If PassSec+ highlights the entry box for a password in green and displays the safe symbol, then it's safe to share data here. A red highlight means it's best to use caution.
Users might also encounter an orange highlight, which tells a person they need to verify the address that appears under the box, comparing it with the one in the browser's address bar.
Confirmation is then needed to prove the match has been double-checked. The extra security is needed because the page has been transmitted from a server with a secure connection, but the PassSec+ has only encountered a basic automatically generated security certificate.
Along with helping to keep passwords, payment information and other sensitive data private, PassSec+ also provides a way for internet surfers to rid themselves of cookies so they can enjoy more online privacy.
One option is to completely block cookies from third parties. The other automatically deletes cookies every time the browser is shut down, so that it becomes impossible to build a profile of the computer user.