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The One Browser You Should Never Trust, According To Security Experts

May 19, 2021 by Lisa Cupido

 
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Your browser serves the important purpose of presenting a platform that allows you to navigate the Web and visit different websites. It’s a vital application software that many of us don’t think too long and hard about. If we just so happen to be using Safari, great. If we decide one day to try Google Chrome, no big deal — browsers are all the same, right? 

Actually, no. This is where some otherwise savvy tech users get it all wrong. Browsers do differ in term of speed and even in security measures that they take or neglect. This is the one browser you should never trust, according to security experts. 

Choosing a browser is a personal decision that will have a lot to do with your personal preference, says Bruno Mirchevski, an expert in server hosting at HostAdvice.com. Even though there’s no one good answer to the question: “which browser should I never use?” There is one general piece of advice the Mirchevski says to keep in mind: Do not assume that just because your phone came with a specific browser, it’s the best or the only one you should be using. 

“When it comes to the one browser that you should delete from your phone, well, before you make that decision, there are a few things you need to know about first,” Mirchevski says. “There are a lot of mobile browsers on the market, each one of which has its own set of pros as well as cons. In Android specifically, there are much more browsers that will provide a lot of customization as well as specifications. iOS is catching up as well, although Apple does have a closed ecosystem.”

Avoid Browsers That Are In Beta Version


“When it comes to the worst browser experience you’ll end up having, it's with a browser in its beta version, due to the fact that the developers won't really be sure about the usage, as they will release features to the beta versions that have not yet been 100% tested or approved for an official release,” Mirchevski says. “Now, I like to look at browsers in a different way, in other words, what you’re getting from them. Is convenience your primary concern, or is it privacy? For example, my favorite browser is Brave browser, due to the fact that it loads pages fast, however, the main selling point for me (The browser is free by the way), is the fact that it allows you to customize your privacy as well as security. You can block cross-site trackers, automatically upgrade connections to HTTPS, and block scripts. You can even block cross-site cookies and cross-site recognition. There are even global shield settings that you can customize.”


In other words, Mirchevski reminds us: the one browser you should delete from your phone is quite possibly the default one that does not have all of these privacy issues. “You ideally want a browser that will give you the ability to disable the pages you visit’s ability to store your data or track you,” he says.

If you want a more concrete answer about the browser your probably have on your phone right now that some tech experts think is not worth the hassle, Mark Condon, Founder and CEO at Shoktkit.com, says Google Chrome leads the way. “Google Chrome is one browser you should consider last for your mobile phone because its RAM usage is way too high,” Condon says. “Another reason is its heavy font rendering that doesn’t even notify you of an update. You can instead use Safari, it is by far the fastest.”

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