Advanced Security (From forum thread)timothytimes's PC Security Config

[timothytimes]

It's my security config for 2025.

 

[Kongo]

It's my security config for 2022. In 2021 I used the similar one (without Avast AntiTrack and Simplewall).

To me it seems like you are trying to set your focus mainly on privacy according to all the privacy extensions you are using. The problem is that more privacy extensions do not actually improve, but lower your privacy and security on the web.

Some articles about this topic:
1. How anti-fingerprinting extensions tend to make fingerprinting easier
2. Why you should be careful with browser extensions

 

[toto_10]

I do agree with @SecureKongo even though I - myself - have quite many extensions

 

[timothytimes]

To me it seems like you are trying to set your focus mainly on privacy according to all the privacy extensions you are using. The problem is that more privacy extensions do not actually improve, but lower your privacy and security on the web.

Some articles about this topic:
1. How anti-fingerprinting extensions tend to make fingerprinting easier
2. Why you should be careful with browser extensions

What addons do you think I ought to remove?

 

[Kongo]

What addons do you think I ought to remove?

Thats up to you. I personally would remove all extensions that provide some kind of tracking protection (CleanURLs, PrivacyBadger, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials and LocalCDN if you have Strict tracking protection enabled in Firefox. Firefox has solid integrated tracking protections that cover quite a lot of tacking mechanisms and uBlock Origin would be a good and simple addition.
Consider setting up one of those modes for uBlock Origin for enhanced security: Blocking mode · gorhill/uBlock Wiki

 

[timothytimes]

Thats up to you. I personally would remove all extensions that provide some kind of tracking protection (CleanURLs, PrivacyBadger, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials and LocalCDN if you have Strict tracking protection enabled in Firefox. Firefox has solid integrated tracking protections that cover quite a lot of tacking mechanisms and uBlock Origin would be a good and simple addition.
Consider setting up one of those modes for uBlock Origin for enhanced security: Blocking mode · gorhill/uBlock Wiki

Thanks! I've removed Privacy Badger and DDG Privacy Essentials, and medium blocking mode has been enabled in uBo

 

[Kongo]

Thanks! I've removed Privacy Badger and DDG Privacy Essentials, and medium blocking mode has been enabled in uBo

Great! I personally also used LocalCDN for a long time but found out that it is not really needed if you have First Party Isolation (FPI) or Total Cookie Protection / Dynamic First Party Isolation (dFPI) enabled.
Total Cookie Protection or dFPI will automatically be enabled when you choose to set Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection to Strict --> Firefox 86 Introduces Total Cookie Protection – Mozilla Security Blog
If you don't want to do that you can still enable FPI in about:config by setting the value of privacy.firstparty.isolate to true.

Here a Reddit thread about all this:

Hope it's not too confusing.

 

[toto_10]

I agree with @SecureKongo. What do AdGuard Extra do for you? Are you using it as a script built in Tampermonkey?

I'm using 'Legitimate URL Shortener' filter instead of ClearURLs.

 

[toto_10]

If a filter can replace a extension, I would go for it any day.

 

[timothytimes]

Great! I personally also used LocalCDN for a long time but found out that it is not really needed if you have First Party Isolation (FPI) or Total Cookie Protection / Dynamic First Party Isolation (dFPI) enabled.
Total Cookie Protection or dFPI will automatically be enabled when you choose to set Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection to Strict --> Firefox 86 Introduces Total Cookie Protection – Mozilla Security Blog
If you don't want to do that you can still enable FPI in about:config by setting the value of privacy.firstparty.isolate to true.

Here a Reddit thread about all this:

Hope it's not too confusing.

Great! I appreciate your kindness and efforts to make my config better. I've just deleted LocalCDN and set my tracking protection to scrict. Also, I've enabled FPI, but it might be unnecessarily

 

[timothytimes]

I agree with @SecureKongo. What do AdGuard Extra do for you? Are you using it as a script built in Tampermonkey?

I'm using 'Legitimate URL Shortener' filter instead of ClearURLs.

I use Adguard Extra script which I added in Tampermonkey. In my opinion, Adguard Extra is a good decision to block YandexDirect (and not only this) advertisements where it won't delete by DNS and uBo filters.

 

[Kongo]

Great! I appreciate your kindness and efforts to make my config better. I've just deleted LocalCDN and set my tracking protection to scrict. Also, I've enabled FPI, but it might be unnecessarily

If you have set the tracking protection to "Strict" you should disable FPI as it can conflict with dFPI.

 

[timothytimes]

If you have set the tracking protection to "Strict" you should disable FPI as it can conflict with dFPI.

Hehehe. Now it's done

 

[Kongo]

I agree with @SecureKongo. What do AdGuard Extra do for you? Are you using it as a script built in Tampermonkey?

I'm using 'Legitimate URL Shortener' filter instead of ClearURLs.

Nice recommendation. The filters "Legitimate URL Shortener" and "AdGuard URL Tracking Protection" in uBlock Origin are basically doing the same as ClearURLs @timothytimes

 

[timothytimes]

Nice recommendation. The filters "Legitimate URL Shortener" and "AdGuard URL Tracking Protection" in uBlock Origin are basically doing the same as ClearURLs @timothytimes

Thank you! I added Legitimate URL Shortener. Adguard URL Tracking Protection has been already enabled

 

[plat]

If you have set the tracking protection to "Strict" you should disable FPI as it can conflict with dFPI.

I use the Custom setting in Firefox. This is what it looks like. So far, no problems--since about 4-5 months. I still get "breakthrough" cookie notices occasionally so the Element Picker comes in handy rather than scrounging around for more lists.

µBlock, a lean and fast blocker

Yes, I was dimly aware of this but I figured: if it works even once, then it's OK to keep it enabled--and if a mainsteam browser still offers this...

www.wilderssecurity.com

Spoiler

 

[Kongo]

I use the Custom setting in Firefox. This is what it looks like. So far, no problems--since about 4-5 months. I still get "breakthrough" cookie notices occasionally so the Element Picker comes in handy rather than scrounging around for more lists.

µBlock, a lean and fast blocker

Yes, I was dimly aware of this but I figured: if it works even once, then it's OK to keep it enabled--and if a mainsteam browser still offers this...

www.wilderssecurity.com

Spoiler

View attachment 263297

I am not quite sure about that but I think that setting tracking protection to custom might not trigger the dFPI feature of Firefox. At least they are only stating that "Strict" will enable it on their site: Firefox 86 Introduces Total Cookie Protection – Mozilla Security Blog

 

[enaph]

Why two VPN's?

 

[oldschool]

I am not quite sure about that but I think that setting tracking protection to custom might not trigger the dFPI feature of Firefox. At least they are only stating that "Strict" will enable it on their site: Firefox 86 Introduces Total Cookie Protection – Mozilla Security Blog

I'm not either but I found this on Reddit Who knows what to believe on R when there are no references/documentation.

I believe if you select "Custom", Cookies -> "All 3rd party cookies" and Tracking content -> "In all windows" it is at least as strong if not more so. Website breakage could occur but I've never encountered any while blocking 3rd party cookies.

In the end I think it's 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. FF strict is very good protection with recent developments.

 

[oldschool]

Now I'm less certain of my previous post. This appears to be the pertinent section from @SecureKongo referenced link above:

In Private Browsing Mode and Strict Mode, Firefox includes Total Cookie Protection, which confines every cookie to the website where it was created. This prevents cookies from tracking you across sites. Strict Mode also includes Enhanced Cookie Clearing, which allows users to clear third-party cookies more effectively.

Note: Italics are mine.