Additionally, most modern browsers will give some additional indication to the left of the web address, such as a lock or colored bar. It only takes a simple glance to know when you’re browsing securely.įirst, you can see when you’re using a secure connection by checking for the “ before the web address. Users Should Learn to Recognize HTTPS and Make Informed Decisions The technology to do so is readily available and cost effective. Gmail’s engineering director noted that “sing https helps protect data from being snooped by third parties, such as in public wifi hotspots.” For example, earlier this year, Google made HTTPS encryption the default for Gmail, its popular webmail service. Happily, some services have already fixed this problem. It has been said many times before, but it bears repeating: Popular websites should enable secure connections by default to protect their users.Īt the time of this writing, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and many other popular services do not enable secure connections by default, leaving their users vulnerable to simple attacks such as Firesheep. Popular Web Platforms Should Enable HTTPS by Default Given the increasing prevalence of easy-to-use snooping programs like Firesheep, CDT offers the following guidance to web platforms and consumers. By encrypting your connection, you’re protected from snoopers (probably, see below). This encryption technology is colloquially referred to as HTTPS and is regularly used by payment processors, banks, and, increasingly, many other types of websites. An encrypted connection between you and a website can provide a substantial measure of protection. The solution to this problem isn’t fancy or new. All the attacker needs to do is click on the account they want to use. The menu on the left shows unsecured connections on the network. Just look at how simple the Firesheep snooping program is:Ībove you can see Firesheep from the attacker’s eyes. This means that, by default, a visit to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other popular services might be enough to give anyone using Firesheep access to your account.
#Older versions of firefox work for firesheep software
This week, a piece of software called Firesheep reminded us of how important it is to browse the Internet securely.įiresheep is a very user-friendly Firefox add-on that allows its user to snoop on unsecure connections on a local network (such the Wi-Fi at your local coffee shop) and hijack services being used on that unsecure connection.
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