Top 5 Secure Browsers for Investigators
Secure and private browsers are essential for investigators to protect their sensitive data, maintain their anonymity online, and prevent cyber-attacks.
Privacy is an important thing for an investigator, and it’s a hard thing to achieve on the modern internet. Our browsers gather information on our activity and searches and use it for their own purposes. As a fraud expert, I research a lot of unsavory topics and my search results and social media recommendations are significantly skewed.
Investigators deal with a vast amount of sensitive data, including personal information, financial records, and legal documents. These data are often stored online or accessed through the internet, making them vulnerable to cyber-attacks and data breaches.
Some people believe that Incognito Mode or any other private mode can protect them, but it only allows users to avoid leaving data on their devices. An internet provider, a search engine, and every website may gather data on a user anyway. Google was sued in 2021 for gathering data on users using the Incognito Mode. Trackers can also access users’ IP addresses and track their locations. In addition to that, search history is always stored on browsers’ servers, even if a user deletes it from their own device.
It’s impossible to be fully anonymous on the Internet, but private browsers can reduce your digital footprint. Some browsers have more privacy than others and can be considered safer for investigators.
Tor Browser
Tor Browser is the most famous for Dark Web search, but it can be used for regular searches as well. This browser uses many servers to keep one place from accessing user’s information, and it’s considered the most anonymous tool. The biggest disadvantage of Tor Browser is its speed, because of the decentralized nature of its traffic. But it can be run from a USB, so it’s portable and can be taken to any computer. Tor Browser is also helpful for searches of the Deep Web.
Epic Privacy Browser
Epic Privacy Browser is always in a private mode and doesn’t store user’s data or allow websites’ trackers to access it. They provide a free VPN to use together. The browser uses DuckDuckGo, a privacy search engine, which is an additional layer of protection. The downside of the no-tracking browser is that it doesn’t allow auto-fill spell-checks or any plugins that make life and search easier. Epic is also not so great at keeping user’s IP private. In 2019, a researcher analyzed the browser and claimed that it connected to Google which might get their share of data.
Brave Browser
A secure browser with built-in privacy features, like an ad block, and protection from tracking. It works with regular Chrome extensions. The browser allows users to opt in or out of IP storing and allows users to access the Dark Web through Tor. Brave was involved in some issues with making profits from the user base by showing their own ads, and using affiliate links on cryptocurrency websites to earn their commission.
Vivaldi Browser
The browser has many security settings, that make it a good private browser. It has an ad blocker, tracking blocking, and it doesn’t keep browsing history. It also has a built-in translator, and it’s highly customizable. They keep and use the user’s IP to optimize experience, but promise that their geolocation cannot be used to pinpoint an exact location.
Comodo Dragon Browser
The browser blocks all tracking and has a built-in antivirus, and, as an additional perk, users can make it look like Chrome or Firefox, including the use of their extensions and plug-ins. The browser is similar to Chrome and can be a heavy user of memory on a computer.
Regular browsers like Chrome, Opera, Edge and others have security features in them. They can be customized to protect users from malicious attacks and remove some layers of information access. But, as with any free software, users have to pay with their data. Firefox is usually considered an exception, because they are a non-profit organization. You can test your browser for tracking issues on The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) website.
Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
A great way to protect your data is to use a VPN. Many free VPNs available online and they do a good job of keeping users secure. People in countries, where internet is controlled by governments, use these tools to access banned websites and evade detection. Unfortunately, some VPN providers collect data on users for business purposes or for law enforcement requests. Nevertheless, VPNs are especially useful for using public or third-party Wi-Fi, because owners of networks can see internet history and credentials of everyone who uses their products.
In addition to protecting sensitive data and preventing cyber-attacks, using secure and private browsers can also help investigators maintain their professional reputation. Investigative work often involves conducting research on sensitive topics, and using unsecured browsers or accessing sensitive data on a public network can compromise the investigation and damage the investigator's professional reputation.