Online privacy should be a huge concern for any internet user. There are many cyber threats that you can encounter while browsing the web. Losing your personal information is one of the most dangerous prospects for an internet user.
Microsoft Edge has many features that allow you to prevent some of the cyber threats from harming your hardware or privacy. The easiest way to do so is to use the Private Browsing feature that will give you access to the web in a completely private tab.
Prevent Edge from contacting the MSN center
Your browser regularly exchanges data with Microsoft servers. It happens whenever you open a new tab since you are redirected to the homepage with news and information suggested by MSN. If you don’t like how your browser behaves, make sure to follow the instructions below:
– Go to the settings menu of the browser.
– Choose “Blank page” right under the string saying “Open new tabs with…”
– Now, all new tabs will be empty.
Stop syncing your personal data
If you have a Microsoft account, your passwords, preferences, and favorites are regularly synchronized with the servers. If you don’t want this to happen, do the following:
– Go to the settings menu of the browser.
– Under “Sync your favorites…” toggle the slider to the off position.
– In the Windows 10 data sync settings, turn off password syncing.
Changing your privacy settings
Edge has multiple settings related to privacy. Here are some of them (you can find them all in the “View Advanced…” section of the Privacy and Services submenu):
– Offer to save passwords is a feature that allows the browser to keep your passwords for auto-filling whenever necessary. Passwords are stored under encryption and are relatively safe. However, you might want to turn off the option.
– Save entries are another feature that accompanies auto-filling. Whenever you fill out a form, the browser will offer to save your data.
– Anti-tracking requests. It basically allows the browser to send out requests to not track your online activities. It is a feature that rarely works since most sites ignore it.
– Cortana assistance enables the virtual helper called Cortana. It helps you navigate the web and assists in making searches a little bit more efficient. However, it also collects your personal information and preferences to be more effective.
– Show suggestions for searching is a feature that will help you type in search queries faster. Whether you want your browser to keep your preferences stored is a question you must ask yourself.
– Cookies represent information that your browser stores locally in order to make communication with frequently visited websites smoother. Clearing cookies from time to time is strongly recommended.
– Allow sites to store DRM-related data (media licenses) on your PC is what makes you able to access media content on websites like Netflix or Amazon that use DRM.
– Page prediction is a feature that speeds up browsing by storing some information from frequently visited websites locally. Turn it off in order to get rid of unwanted files on your PC.
– SmartScreen Filter allows the browser to use suggestions from SmartScreen filter that checks potentially harmful, unknown websites before you visit them.
