Comments for Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

Comment from Paul on 2009-05-27

2009-05-28T00:16:49Z

Would a better solution be if you use a virtual machine like VMWare for 'incognito' browsing and reverting back to a snapshot. Wondering if reverting leaves a previous state that could be revived. Can downloaded material within virtual OS transferred to thumb drive be recovered from hard drive?

It's a good approach, as it would make recovery more difficult, at least. Yes, you can transfer files between the VM and host if you like. If you want to be extra paranoid, I'd place the VM hard disk image on an encrypted TrueCrypt volume, so that it was completely unrecoverable when the volume wasn't mounted.

- Leo
28-May-2009

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

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Comment from robin on 2009-05-27

2009-05-27T15:06:03Z

I think the real problem is not what is stored on my computer but what records the ISP retains about my surfing and downloading. I understand that there is now or is going to be a new UK law that requires the ISP to keep a record of everything we do including our emails. UK is now a proper police state brought about by what I believe are three antichrists: Blair, Brown and Mandelson.

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

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Comment from Sandy Smith on 2009-05-26

2009-05-26T19:35:22Z

I don't trust those filters no matter what they say. As an example... You may want to search something medical - like diabetes and not do so on a work machine because you don't want them knowing anything about your medical history. Wanting to Hide things can have NOTHING to do with porn.

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

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Comment from Dave Markley on 2009-05-26

2009-05-26T17:29:18Z

I think Leo really hit the nail on the head, as usual. As for law enforcement, if it's ever been on your hard drive, and that particular file has not yet been overwritten, they can and will find it. Period. Spyware is another major concern with privacy. I think the bottom line is - make sure what you are doing on your PC is legal!!! If anyone has ever tried even some of the freeware recovery tools such as 'Recuva', you'd be amazed at what you'll still find on your hard drive. Law enforcement spends millions a year on computer forensic tools and software. Handybits file shredder is a great freeware program to try if you want to delete a file and make it "un-recoverable". They claim to overwrite the deleted file to NSA and Military specifications.

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Rahul on 2009-05-26

2009-05-26T15:40:17Z

The main idea behind the privacy mode is that you don't have to clean up after you and leave any previous history as it was. Only the privacy session does not leave traces. Quite useful when using someone else's or a public computer.. Besides cleaning up after you takes time and effort.

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Ray Akkanson on 2009-05-26

2009-05-26T12:49:25Z

Great article but I'm not if should trust Chrome.

Thanks
Ray Akkanson

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Queue on 2009-05-24

2009-05-24T09:59:26Z

I think you're missing one of the major points of "can it be recovered"; when something's deleted, it's not really deleted. I'm sure in this age of paranoia, we all know exactly what I mean, so I'll be short and sweet. If it stores ANYTHING to hard drive, it can be recovered with enough effort, unless you shred all free space.

These "porn modes" are, most likely, the biggest waste of development time in quite a while. Clear your cache. I'm quite sure that, unless it's illegal for whatever reason, no one is going to take any effort to search your free space for your, uh, "artistic" pictures. ;)

Hell, if you REALLY want to go that far, download CCleaner and check "Shred when deleting files" and "Shred free space" after every browsing session.

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

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Comment from Mark Jacobs on 2009-05-23

2009-05-23T21:37:27Z

I logged on to the Google history page and saw that if I wanted to view my history I would need to install the Google toolbar. Fortunately I've clicked un check the install toolbar eveytime a freewaqre program tried to install it, so I guess we're slightly safer if we don't have the Google toolbar. Google may have my searches recorded but it doesn't have all my info in one place,YET. Although the way Google works, it can take a lot of related data spread out all over the web and manage to put it together. So we're never really private.

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Cory on 2009-05-23

2009-05-23T07:00:32Z

On the web, nothing is private.

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A comment on: Do new browser features offering privacy really work?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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