5 browser settings that quietly save you from scams
Your browser is leaking more than you think. These five tweaks take ten minutes and close the gaps most people never notice.
Turn off autofill for cards
Chrome saved my card number the day I paid for a train ticket. Now autofill is off for payment fields. One stolen laptop and that number is gone from your hands.
Check your saved passwords
Open Settings, then Passwords. Chrome and Safari show a red warning on reused logins. Fix those first, before adding new accounts.
The default settings are not built for you. They are built for the company that shipped them.
Block third-party cookies
In Chrome, go to Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies, then Block. Shopping sites will ask you to log in again. That is the cookies leaving.
Use a separate email for signups
Make one Gmail account for every app and newsletter. Your main inbox stays clean, and if that second address leaks, your bank alerts stay safe.
Set your browser to forget on close
Firefox has a setting: delete cookies and history when the window closes. Public computers at a Delhi cyber cafe become much less risky.
The takeaway
Spend ten minutes in your browser settings today. Start with saved payment cards, because that is the one leak you cannot undo after the fact.
