Web Browser Hardening Recommendations

Operating System: All

Applies To: UB students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees and volunteers

Last Updated: March 7, 2022

Before implementing recommended changes, each setting should be carefully examined. Don’t implement any settings without first testing it in a non-production environment. The entire process for each browser may take several minutes to even hours (especially if you’re doing this for the first time), depending on the level of security enhancement you’ve chosen.

Before applying system changes, consider the following important issues:

• As you take each action or simply audit applicable areas throughout the steps, document each change you make.
• Although recommendations will lead to significantly a more secure browser, keep in mind that no Internet browser is completely immune from well-seasoned attackers whose tools and techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated and detrimental

This website explores the basics of web browser features and risks, including a discussion of the most commonly exploited features such as Active X, Java, plug-ins, cookies, JavaScript, and VBScript. In addition, it offers step-by-step recommendations for securing a number of commonly used browsers including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari.

An attack can exploit a flaw in a piece of software, known as a plug-in, upon which your Web browser relies, such as a PDF viewer or a Java application.