I uninstalled my AV after reading they pretty much spy on us

[Holysmoke]

I am a nut about it. I paid for a VPN using Tor with a gift card I bought with cash with a hat and sunglasses on.

I implemented all these ff tweaks

1. network.http.sendRefererHeader = false
   • Disable referrer headers.
2. network.http.sendSecureXSiteReferrer = false
   • Disable referrer headers.
3. privacy.trackingprotection.enabled = true
   • This is Mozilla’s new built in tracking protection.
4. geo.enabled = false
   • Disables geolocation.
5. browser.safebrowsing.enabled = false
   • Disable Google Safe Browsing and phishing protection. Security risk, but privacy improvement.
6. browser.safebrowsing.malware.enabled = false
   • Disable Google Safe Browsing malware checks. Security risk, but privacy improvement.
7. dom.event.clipboardevents.enabled = false
   • Disable that websites can get notifications if you copy, paste, or cut something from a web page, and it lets them know which part of the page had been selected.
8. dom.event.contextmenu.enabled = false
   • Disables website control over rightclick context menu.
9. geo.wifi.logging.enabled = false
   • Disables firefox logging geolocation requests.
10. network.cookie.alwaysAcceptSessionCookies = false
    • Disables acceptance of session cookies.
11. network.cookie.cookieBehavior = 2
    • Disable cookies
    • 0 = accept all cookies by default
    • 1 = only accept from the originating site (block third party cookies)
    • 2 = block all cookies by default
12. network.cookie.lifetimePolicy = 2
    • cookies are deleted at the end of the session
    • 0 = Accept cookies normally
    • 1 = Prompt for each cookie
    • 2 = Accept for current session only
    • 3 = Accept for N days
13. network.dnsCacheEntries = 100
    • Number of cached DNS entries. Lower number = More requests but less data stored.
14. network.dnsCacheExpiration = 60
    • Time DNS entries are cached in seconds.
15. places.history.enabled = false
    • Disables recording of visited websites.
16. browser.formfill.enable = false
    • Disables saving of formdata.
17. browser.cache.disk.enable = false
    • Disables caching on hardrive.
18. browser.cache.disk_cache_ssl = false
    • Disables caching for ssl connections.
19. browser.cache.memory.enable = false
    • Disables caching in memory.
20. browser.cache.offline.enable = false
    • Disables offline cache.
21. browser.send_pings = false
    • The attribute would be useful for letting websites track visitors’ clicks.
22. network.dns.disableIPv6 = true
    • If your OS or ISP does not support IPv6, there is no reason to have this preference set to false.
23. network.dns.disablePrefetch = true
    • To disable DNS prefetching you will need to add network.dns.disablePrefetch as a new boolean preference and set the value to true.
24. network.prefetch-next = false
    • Link prefetching is when a webpage hints to the browser that certain pages are likely to be visited, so the browser downloads them immediately so they can be displayed immediately when the user requests it. This preference controls whether link prefetching is enabled.
25. network.websocket.enabled = false
    • WebSockets is a technology that makes it possible to open an interactive communication session between the user's browser and a server.
26. webgl.disabled = true
    • WebGL is a potential security risk. Source

Source and thanks to reddit users aboutconfig_tips and FreddyFredG



I use all these extensions

HTTPS Everywhere is a Firefox, Chrome, and Opera extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure. A collaboration between The Tor Project and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere

uBlock is an lightweight and efficient blocker: easy on memory and CPU footprint. The extension has no monetization strategy and development is volunteered. Available for: Firefox, Safari, Opera, Chromium.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock/
Adblock Edge and uBlock are both great addons, choose between them but AdBlock Plus is not recommended because they show "acceptable ads". The system behind that white list is lacking transparency.

Privacy Badger is a browser add-on that stops advertisers and other third-party trackers from secretly tracking where you go and what pages you look at on the web. Privacy Badger automatically blocks that advertiser from loading any more content in your browser.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/privacy-badger-firefox/

Random Agent Spoofer is a privacy enhancing firefox addon which aims to hinder browser fingerprinting. It does this by changing the browser/device profile on a timer.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/random-agent-spoofer/

Self-Destructing Cookies automatically removes cookies when they are no longer used by open browser tabs. With the cookies, lingering sessions, as well as information used to spy on you, will be expunged.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/self-destructing-cookies/

The following addons require quite a lot of interaction from user to get things working. Some sites will not work properly until you have configured the addons.
Stop cross-site requests with "Request Policy"

Many websites integrate features which let other websites track you, such as Facebook Like Buttons or Google Analytics. Request Policy gives you control over the requests that websites make to other websites. This gives you greater and more fine grained control over the information that you leak online.
https://requestpolicycontinued.github.io/
Be in total control with "NoScript Security Suite"

Highly customizable plugin to selectively allow Javascript, Java, and Flash to run only on websites you trust. Not for casual users, it requires technical knowledge to configure.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/



so after all that I find out my AV was sending every URL I visited to their servers.

and they have my name address and credit card info defeating the VPN, TOR and all extenstions

 

[software182]

HolySmoke ! so, you're not using any av yet ? or maybe you want to make your own av ? :O

 

[Holysmoke]

in this thread, I posted that I am going with Emsisoft based on their policy of not transmitting URL's I visit to them

 

[jackuars]

HolySmoke ! so, you're not using any av yet ? or maybe you want to make your own av ? :O

From the looks of that, the safest way to privacy is to make your own software for each one of your needs. Then you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Wait, do you trust yourself?

 

[Chromatinfish 123]

@Holysmoke , Holysmoke!

That's quite some about:config changes you made there! I tamper with Firefox a lot to get it to work just right, but, wow, that's a lot of work! I, myself, like things that require a little but not too much tweaking.

 

[jackuars]

silly comments about unplugging from the net.

we must take our privacy seriously.

if you can find a company that protects it then go there.

I found this from Emsisoft

https://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/privacy/

We would like to make our position clear at this point and assure you that we will never consciously install a hole in our Anti-Malware series of products in order to allow access for a Government Trojan or similar software. If it ever comes to a legislative or court decision that forces us to do this then we will immediately notify our users of this fact. Especially the behavior analysis module of Emsisoft Anti-Malware does not distinguish between "benign" and "malignant" pests. As a user, you always have the possibility of immediately blocking a suspicious program.


I have decided to install Emsisoft based on this policy and the fact that AV Comparatives says they do not transmit URLs visited to their servers

To be honest, I've heard some people bash about Qihoo for their marketing strategies and what not, for reasons I don't even understand. For me the Emsisoft articles, though informative, seems to be a marketing strategy too. Simply put, it works totally in their favor. "Look, X, Y and Z collects your info, we do not. Hence we are better and safer."

Remember that Privacy policies aren't meant to be the same at all times. A slight change in the wording can occur at any time and would mean something totally different.

 

[FreddyFreeloader]

I am a nut about it. I paid for a VPN using Tor with a gift card I bought with cash with a hat and sunglasses on.

I implemented all these ff tweaks

1. network.http.sendRefererHeader = false
   • Disable referrer headers.
2. network.http.sendSecureXSiteReferrer = false
   • Disable referrer headers.
3. privacy.trackingprotection.enabled = true
   • This is Mozilla’s new built in tracking protection.
4. geo.enabled = false
   • Disables geolocation.
5. browser.safebrowsing.enabled = false
   • Disable Google Safe Browsing and phishing protection. Security risk, but privacy improvement.
6. browser.safebrowsing.malware.enabled = false
   • Disable Google Safe Browsing malware checks. Security risk, but privacy improvement.
7. dom.event.clipboardevents.enabled = false
   • Disable that websites can get notifications if you copy, paste, or cut something from a web page, and it lets them know which part of the page had been selected.
8. dom.event.contextmenu.enabled = false
   • Disables website control over rightclick context menu.
9. geo.wifi.logging.enabled = false
   • Disables firefox logging geolocation requests.
10. network.cookie.alwaysAcceptSessionCookies = false
    • Disables acceptance of session cookies.
11. network.cookie.cookieBehavior = 2
    • Disable cookies
    • 0 = accept all cookies by default
    • 1 = only accept from the originating site (block third party cookies)
    • 2 = block all cookies by default
12. network.cookie.lifetimePolicy = 2
    • cookies are deleted at the end of the session
    • 0 = Accept cookies normally
    • 1 = Prompt for each cookie
    • 2 = Accept for current session only
    • 3 = Accept for N days
13. network.dnsCacheEntries = 100
    • Number of cached DNS entries. Lower number = More requests but less data stored.
14. network.dnsCacheExpiration = 60
    • Time DNS entries are cached in seconds.
15. places.history.enabled = false
    • Disables recording of visited websites.
16. browser.formfill.enable = false
    • Disables saving of formdata.
17. browser.cache.disk.enable = false
    • Disables caching on hardrive.
18. browser.cache.disk_cache_ssl = false
    • Disables caching for ssl connections.
19. browser.cache.memory.enable = false
    • Disables caching in memory.
20. browser.cache.offline.enable = false
    • Disables offline cache.
21. browser.send_pings = false
    • The attribute would be useful for letting websites track visitors’ clicks.
22. network.dns.disableIPv6 = true
    • If your OS or ISP does not support IPv6, there is no reason to have this preference set to false.
23. network.dns.disablePrefetch = true
    • To disable DNS prefetching you will need to add network.dns.disablePrefetch as a new boolean preference and set the value to true.
24. network.prefetch-next = false
    • Link prefetching is when a webpage hints to the browser that certain pages are likely to be visited, so the browser downloads them immediately so they can be displayed immediately when the user requests it. This preference controls whether link prefetching is enabled.
25. network.websocket.enabled = false
    • WebSockets is a technology that makes it possible to open an interactive communication session between the user's browser and a server.
26. webgl.disabled = true
    • WebGL is a potential security risk. Source

Source and thanks to reddit users aboutconfig_tips and FreddyFredG



I use all these extensions

HTTPS Everywhere is a Firefox, Chrome, and Opera extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure. A collaboration between The Tor Project and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere

uBlock is an lightweight and efficient blocker: easy on memory and CPU footprint. The extension has no monetization strategy and development is volunteered. Available for: Firefox, Safari, Opera, Chromium.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock/
Adblock Edge and uBlock are both great addons, choose between them but AdBlock Plus is not recommended because they show "acceptable ads". The system behind that white list is lacking transparency.

Privacy Badger is a browser add-on that stops advertisers and other third-party trackers from secretly tracking where you go and what pages you look at on the web. Privacy Badger automatically blocks that advertiser from loading any more content in your browser.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/privacy-badger-firefox/

Random Agent Spoofer is a privacy enhancing firefox addon which aims to hinder browser fingerprinting. It does this by changing the browser/device profile on a timer.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/random-agent-spoofer/

Self-Destructing Cookies automatically removes cookies when they are no longer used by open browser tabs. With the cookies, lingering sessions, as well as information used to spy on you, will be expunged.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/self-destructing-cookies/

The following addons require quite a lot of interaction from user to get things working. Some sites will not work properly until you have configured the addons.
Stop cross-site requests with "Request Policy"

Many websites integrate features which let other websites track you, such as Facebook Like Buttons or Google Analytics. Request Policy gives you control over the requests that websites make to other websites. This gives you greater and more fine grained control over the information that you leak online.
https://requestpolicycontinued.github.io/
Be in total control with "NoScript Security Suite"

Highly customizable plugin to selectively allow Javascript, Java, and Flash to run only on websites you trust. Not for casual users, it requires technical knowledge to configure.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/



so after all that I find out my AV was sending every URL I visited to their servers.

and they have my name address and credit card info defeating the VPN, TOR and all extenstions

What do your web pages look like now, blank?

 

[Tony Cole]

Go with Kaspersky, they are least likely to give the NSA access to anything as Russia, well as we know has been, and still is at war with the west. Great shame. Ronald Reagan did so much to stop this bitter battle, but Obama, has an ulterior motive, as he stated and backs up the NSA "it has prevented 55 possible, and likely terrorist attacks." The war on terror (which I back 100%) does not warrant the spying of innocent people, even the Brazilian President, as she says "In the absence of the right to privacy, there can be no true freedom of expression and opinion, and therefore no effective democracy. In the absence of the respect for sovereignty, there is no basis for the relationship among nations."

Just disable Kaspersky's KSN, or Malwarebytes under 'history settings'

 

[FleischmannTV]

Just disable Kaspersky's KSN

I strongly advice against that. Following this you will decrease the product's ability to protect you by a considerable degree, because KSN provides rapid response against the latest threats and is used to automatically put new applications in application control in the appropriate group. Furthermore I highly doubt that disabling KSN would protect you from the FSB, should they decide to target you. Aside from that an intelligence service of that degree wouldn't need backdoors in Kaspersky products in order to compromise you anyway. Neither will using Kaspersky products reduce your exposure against the NSA.

 

[FleischmannTV]

@Tony Cole and others

I need to correct my previous statement. I have learned just yesterday that disabling participation in KSN does not decrease security because the protective features of KSN are still going to work. Disabling it will only cut of the information flow from user to KSN, whereas from KSN to user will still work.

 

[Atlas147]

I don't think that AVs would just give data to whoever, whenever. Maybe they sell information to some other companies such as statistics and such but I've yet to hear a court order for an AV vendor to give up the data of someone because they have the suspicion that they are doing something illegal.

That said, if you do not want your information to be sold to others, pay for your AVs. The only reason AVs are selling the information is because they have no other source of income if you don't buy their product. Emsisoft can have such a good privacy policy because they only offer paid products, of course they have freeware but that does not have a real time protection module which means that it is almost impossible for them to collect every link that you are browsing through.

If spying on people using AVs is such a breakthrough don't you think the NSA would have been using it by now, since the AV has access to all the information and files before they are encrypted by the various protocols?

If you are really worried about having a AV spy on you why not just choose a AV that resides outside the country you stay in? Better yet choose a AV that resides in a country with strict laws protecting our privacy?

Ok say you really don't wanna use a AV, and you get hit by a drive by download which installs a trojan on your system, essentially you are now being spied on by the hackers. The thing that AVs are trying to protect you from, and these hackers would do a lot more than just spy on you, they would steal banking info, passwords, essentially turning your life upside down. I hardly think the NSA would do such a thing (if they even are able to spy on you through an AV).

So it's your choice, risk getting spied on by the government or black hats.