% browser, firefox, chrome, privacy, hardening, fingerprinting # ============================================================================ # BROWSER SELECTION & INSTALLATION # ============================================================================ # Recommended privacy browsers (in order) # 1. LibreWolf (Firefox fork, privacy-hardened by default) # 2. Mullvad Browser (Tor Browser without Tor network) # 3. Firefox (with manual hardening) # 4. Brave (Chromium-based alternative) # Install LibreWolf (Debian/Ubuntu) sudo apt install extrepo sudo extrepo enable librewolf sudo apt update && sudo apt install librewolf # Install Firefox from Mozilla (not Snap) sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa sudo apt update && sudo apt install firefox # Install Brave sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list sudo apt update && sudo apt install brave-browser # Install Mullvad Browser wget --content-disposition https://mullvad.net/en/download/browser/linux-x86_64/latest # ============================================================================ # FIREFOX HARDENING (about:config) # ============================================================================ # Access Firefox config # Type in address bar: about:config # Privacy settings (search and set these) privacy.resistFingerprinting = true privacy.trackingprotection.enabled = true privacy.trackingprotection.socialtracking.enabled = true privacy.firstparty.isolate = true privacy.donottrackheader.enabled = true # DNS over HTTPS (DoH) network.trr.mode = 2 network.trr.uri = https://mozilla.cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query # WebRTC IP leak prevention media.peerconnection.enabled = false media.peerconnection.ice.default_address_only = true # Disable telemetry toolkit.telemetry.enabled = false toolkit.telemetry.unified = false datareporting.healthreport.uploadEnabled = false datareporting.policy.dataSubmissionEnabled = false # Disable Pocket extensions.pocket.enabled = false # Disable prefetching network.dns.disablePrefetch = true network.prefetch-next = false # HTTPS-only mode dom.security.https_only_mode = true dom.security.https_only_mode_ever_enabled = true # Disable geolocation geo.enabled = false # Disable WebGL (fingerprinting vector) webgl.disabled = true # Disable canvas fingerprinting privacy.resistFingerprinting.block_mozAddonManager = true # ============================================================================ # FIREFOX EXTENSIONS (ESSENTIAL) # ============================================================================ # uBlock Origin (ad/tracker blocking) # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/ # Privacy Badger (EFF tracker blocker) # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/privacy-badger17/ # HTTPS Everywhere (force HTTPS) # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/https-everywhere/ # Decentraleyes (local CDN emulation) # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/decentraleyes/ # NoScript (JavaScript control) # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/noscript/ # ClearURLs (remove tracking parameters) # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/clearurls/ # Cookie AutoDelete (auto-delete cookies) # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/cookie-autodelete/ # Temporary Containers (isolate sites) # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/temporary-containers/ # ============================================================================ # FIREFOX ADVANCED HARDENING # ============================================================================ # User.js hardening (arkenfox template) cd ~/.mozilla/firefox/*.default-release/ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/arkenfox/user.js/master/user.js # Customize user.js overrides # Create user-overrides.js for site-specific settings # Apply updates to user.js cd ~/.mozilla/firefox/*.default-release/ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/arkenfox/user.js/master/updater.sh bash updater.sh # ============================================================================ # CHROMIUM/BRAVE HARDENING # ============================================================================ # Chrome/Brave flags (chrome://flags) # Enable: Strict site isolation # Enable: Block third-party cookies # Disable: WebRTC IP handling # Brave Shield settings # Settings → Shields → Trackers & ads blocking: Aggressive # Settings → Shields → Block fingerprinting: Strict # Settings → Shields → Block cookies: Block third-party cookies # Chrome extensions (same as Firefox) # uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, HTTPS Everywhere, Decentraleyes # ============================================================================ # SEARCH ENGINE CONFIGURATION # ============================================================================ # Privacy-respecting search engines # DuckDuckGo: https://duckduckgo.com # Startpage: https://startpage.com # Searx instances: https://searx.space # Brave Search: https://search.brave.com # Set custom search engine in Firefox # Settings → Search → Default Search Engine # Add Searx instance # Settings → Search → Find More Search Engines → Add manually # ============================================================================ # FINGERPRINTING TESTS # ============================================================================ # Test browser fingerprint uniqueness # Cover Your Tracks (EFF): https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/ # AmIUnique: https://amiunique.org/ # BrowserLeaks: https://browserleaks.com/ # Test WebRTC leak # WebRTC Leak Test: https://browserleaks.com/webrtc # Test DNS leak # DNS Leak Test: https://dnsleaktest.com/ # ============================================================================ # PRIVACY-FOCUSED PROFILES # ============================================================================ # Firefox Multi-Account Containers # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/ # Create separate profiles for different activities # Personal, Work, Shopping, Banking, Anonymous # Firefox profile manager firefox -ProfileManager # Launch with specific profile firefox -P "ProfileName" # ============================================================================ # COOKIE & STORAGE MANAGEMENT # ============================================================================ # Cookie settings (Firefox) # Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data # Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed # Clear history on exit # Settings → Privacy & Security → History → Clear history when Firefox closes # Select: Browsing & download history, Cookies, Cache, Active logins # Storage inspection (Firefox) # about:preferences#privacy → Cookies and Site Data → Manage Data # Clear all data # CTRL+SHIFT+DEL → Select "Everything" → Clear Now # ============================================================================ # USER-AGENT SPOOFING # ============================================================================ # User-Agent Switcher extension # Install: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/uaswitcher/ # Common user agents to rotate Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/115.0 Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/119.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/119.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 # ============================================================================ # SAFE BROWSING PRACTICES # ============================================================================ # Always use HTTPS (check for padlock) # Verify SSL certificates (click padlock → Connection is secure) # Check URL for typos (phishing prevention) # Never save passwords in browser (use password manager) # Use separate browser for banking/sensitive accounts # Never use public WiFi without VPN # Clear cookies/cache regularly # Disable auto-fill for forms # Review browser permissions regularly (camera, mic, location) # ============================================================================ # DISABLING BROWSER TELEMETRY # ============================================================================ # Firefox telemetry (about:config) toolkit.telemetry.enabled = false toolkit.telemetry.unified = false toolkit.telemetry.archive.enabled = false datareporting.healthreport.uploadEnabled = false datareporting.policy.dataSubmissionEnabled = false browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.feeds.telemetry = false browser.ping-centre.telemetry = false # Brave telemetry # Settings → Privacy and security → Usage data → Disable all # Chrome telemetry # Settings → Privacy and security → Sync and Google services → Disable all # ============================================================================ # CONTAINER ISOLATION (FIREFOX) # ============================================================================ # Enable First Party Isolation privacy.firstparty.isolate = true # Use Multi-Account Containers # Separate: Shopping, Social Media, Banking, Work, Personal # Configure container rules # Assign domains to always open in specific containers # Example: facebook.com → Social Media container # Temporary Containers (auto-delete) # Every new tab in isolated container # Cookies/storage deleted on tab close # ============================================================================ # PDF VIEWER HARDENING # ============================================================================ # Disable JavaScript in PDF viewer (Firefox) pdfjs.enableScripting = false # Use external PDF viewer (more secure) # Settings → Applications → PDF → Use system default # Alternative: Send to external viewer xdg-mime default evince.desktop application/pdf # ============================================================================ # ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES # ============================================================================ # Disable WebAssembly (potential exploit vector) javascript.options.wasm = false # Disable WebGL (fingerprinting + GPU exploits) webgl.disabled = true # Disable battery status API (tracking) dom.battery.enabled = false # Disable gamepad API (fingerprinting) dom.gamepad.enabled = false # Disable clipboard API access dom.event.clipboardevents.enabled = false # ============================================================================ # SECURE BROWSER PROFILES # ============================================================================ # Banking Profile (maximum security) # - No extensions (except HTTPS Everywhere) # - JavaScript required (for banking sites) # - Cookies allowed for session only # - Never save passwords # - Clear all data on exit # Anonymous Profile (maximum privacy) # - Tor Browser or Mullvad Browser # - NoScript enabled (block all JS by default) # - No cookies # - No WebRTC # - Resist fingerprinting # Daily Driver Profile (balanced) # - uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, Decentraleyes # - Cookie AutoDelete # - HTTPS-only mode # - DoH enabled # ============================================================================ # BROWSER UPDATE POLICY # ============================================================================ # Always keep browser updated (critical security patches) # Enable automatic updates # Firefox updates # Settings → General → Firefox Updates → Automatically install updates # Check current version firefox --version # Manual update check # Settings → Help → About Firefox # ============================================================================ # CONTENT BLOCKING LISTS # ============================================================================ # uBlock Origin filter lists # Enable: Built-in, EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Malware domains, Annoyances # Additional lists # - Dan Pollock's hosts file # - Peter Lowe's Ad server list # - AdGuard filters # Update filters regularly # uBlock Origin dashboard → Filter lists → Update now # ============================================================================ # TESTING HARDENING EFFECTIVENESS # ============================================================================ # Browser fingerprinting test https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/ # DNS leak test https://dnsleaktest.com/ # WebRTC leak test https://browserleaks.com/webrtc # IP leak test (when using VPN) https://ipleak.net/ # SSL/TLS test https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/viewMyClient.html # Check enabled features https://browserleaks.com/javascript # ============================================================================ # TROUBLESHOOTING # ============================================================================ # Site broken after hardening # Disable privacy.resistFingerprinting temporarily # Allow JavaScript for specific site (NoScript) # Allow third-party cookies for specific site # Can't login to sites # Check if cookies are blocked # Disable tracking protection for specific site # Allow localStorage # Videos won't play # Re-enable WebGL temporarily # Allow DRM content (Settings → Privacy → DRM Content) # Reset Firefox to defaults (if needed) # about:support → Refresh Firefox