How to Secure Opera Browser

Securing a web browser is more important that most users realise. It is a common mistake to consider an antivirus an adequate defence against the rampant and varied malware doing the rounds of the Internet. An antivirus will stop a virus that has already entered the system from spreading or wreaking havoc. However that is a cure, and as per the old adage, prevention is much better by far.

A few browsers have security flaws in their code, which can then be exploited to a hacker’s benefit. Thankfully this is not the case with Opera, but it is still susceptible to spyware. Bugs can also render a web browser vulnerable.

Opera is most certainly one of the most secure browsers available, and that too for free. It incorporates strong encryption, Secure Shell Layer (SSH) and Transaction Layer Security (TLS) for transferring data, authentication to avoid scams like phishing websites, certificate detection to check for expired security measures, among many more.

click to enlarge

The features and functionality listed above are all part of the default settings in Opera, and they are all instrumental in Opera’s secure web browsing experience.

For websites that should have secure logins and sessions, Opera displays a small padlock next to the address in the display bar. This icon indicates that the website is secure, and that the information the user enters is not privy to prying eyes. It would be extremely unwise to enter any data in online banking sites, for example, without checking for the icon first.

click to enlarge

JavaScript should not be entirely discounted as a security threat just because it is not very powerful. Granted many sites require JavaScript to be enabled before anything can be done, however it is easy to toggle the options in Opera to disallow the scripting language to take over the browser in any way.

JavaScript can be turned on and off using the F12 key whilst browsing, and without interrupting the flow in any way. The F12 key brings up Opera’s Quick Preferences menu, setting the changes quickly and with instant effect.

click to enlarge

There is no such thing as good cookies, nor, conversely, bad cookies. However, cookies can be misused to gather information, so Opera deems most of the top-level domain cookies as unsafe. Therefore these cookies will not be accepted by the browser regardless of whether or not the user permits them.

The other cookies can be configured in the Edit site preferences menu, which can be found under Tools and then Quick Preferences. Under Tools and then Preferences, there is also an Advanced menu which has a greater level of customization for Cookies. Here the user can toggle the ‘Use cookies to trace password-protected pages’ which is an excellent option to remove password-protected pages from the cache altogether.