Security is one of the most important aspect of our daily usage of the internet and in order to stay at the less-risky side of things, it might be good to understand the basic security and privacy measures to take in order to ensure your absolute security when surfing the internet on your Mac computer.

The Safari web browser is one of the most popular because its the default web browser for both MacOS-powered computers by Apple as well as its iPhones and other large computers. With that, the company which is known to be very privacy conscious has some tools turned on by default to ensure the smooth experience while using either of their computers or smartphones to surf the web via the Safari web browser but we have some better security tips to ensure your data are never stolen or mishandled any longer.

How to secure your Safari Browser on MacOS Big Sur

Even though you might have to ask yourself if this guide is this guide is necessary considering the fact that the Apple Safari browser is very much secured in the first place, there are still some settings you can make that can make things better especially due to the recent MacOS update which added new tools that makes it much easier to easily detect questionable websites.

In order to enjoy this new sets of interesting features, you might need to first upgrade your system to the recent MacOS Big Sur.

How to eliminate annoying pop-ups on Safari

What can be more annoying than annoying pop-ups on websites where you are supposed to be getting values. The new Google interstitial ads that blanks an entire website content can be one of such but there are in fact some dubious websites with hidden pop-ups.

With the new Safari update, you are sure to get rid of all of them by doing the following:

1. Open your Safari browser on your Mac computer and then click on Safari in the toolbar at the top-left corner
2. Then select Preferences and then…
3. Choose the websites tab
4. Click Pop-up Windows on the list left side of the window
5. Right next to When Visiting other websites, toggle to Block and Notify or Block (but that depends on your very own preference).

And that is it. When next you visit one of those annoying websites with pop-ups then you can be rest assured they’ll be blocked automatically but you can unblock these pop-ups if you need it. Just select Allow next to the website name in the same location where you initially blocked the pop-up.

Take Advantage of Machine Learning

Apple wants to make the Safari browser a better tool that’s not just for browsing purposes but also for other things thanks to its intelligent tracking prevention solution which is a machine learning technology that automatically stop third-party content providers from tracking you across websites to advertise products and services.

Targeted ads had been the business models of many businesses online such as Google and Facebook and the fact that they’re able to target their ads towards you means that they’ve been tracking you and harvesting all of your data which are being used to retarget you as a consumer.

An example is when you click on a Share, Like, or Comment button on websites. These buttons can get used for tracking your web browser even without you clicking on them. Apple’s built-in tool makes sure this doesn’t happen by blocking that tracking.

To confirm Intelligent Tracking Prevention is turned on:

1. In Safari on Mac, click on Safari in the toolbar at the top left.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Choose the Privacy tab.
4. Check the box next to Prevent cross-site tracking. (This should be checked by default.)

Search the web privately

Why do you think Google know so much…because you your search queries are stored and used to target you as a customer. While there are some security-conscious web browsers and search engines out there such as DuckDuckGo or the Brave browser, Apple also wants to ensure that it keeps its users’ privacy intact and safe from big-tech companies.

Google for example (which holds the majority of the search market) keeps vital information about your search query such as the date and time of the search as well as information about your computer such as the IP address and all these can be logged to your Google account if you’re logged in (DuckDuckGo is the complete opposite)

There is a Privacy report tool that came with the MacOS Big Sur which is located on the Safari browser’s start page. The new report shows how the browser has protected your browsing experience throughout the internet across multiple websites which you’ve visited.

There is in fact a privacy report button on the Safari browser’s toolbar which when clicked will give you access to an instant snapshot of every cross-site tracker which the browser has blocked. Trackers can follow you across multiple websites and combine your online movements into a profile for advertisers.

If you’re in a hurry, you can also click on the shield icon that’s to the left of the Smart Search field in Safari. The page includes a list of any trackers found on the current website.

Private browsing window

If you’re a top-secret agent or you just don’t want anybody to know who you are, you can use private browsing window on the Safari browser for Mac computers which works much like the Incognito windows on Google Chrome.

The private browsing windows don’t save any detail such as history, cookies, cache and so forth and all the websites you visit through this windows won’t be able to store your data which is a big win-win for those who wants to do something else while at work.

Additionally, when you’re using a private browsing window:

• Browsing initiated in one tab is isolated from browsing initiated in another tab, so websites you visit can’t track your browsing across multiple sessions.
• The system won’t save AutoFill information and website visits.
• iCloud doesn’t store open webpages.
• The results list doesn’t include your recent searches when you use the Smart Search field.
• Downloaded items don’t show up on the downloads list. (However, the items do remain on your computer.)
• If you use Handoff, Private Browsing windows are not passed to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or other Mac computers.
• Not saved: Your cookies and website data.

To open a private browsing window in Safari on Mac:

1. Open Safari as you always do.
2. Click File on your Safari toolbar.
3. Choose New Private Window.

You’ll see a gray background in the Safari search field in private browsing windows, as you can see in the example below:

Don’t Overuse Those Passwords

If you’re a prominent user of the Google Chrome browser or a one time user, somehow, you might have stumbled across the Password security warning tool which alerts you when a password has been overused on the browser, the same is now possible with the Safari browser for MacOS Big Sur.

The browser now comes with its very own password manager which automatically saves username and passwords with a website so it becomes much easier for you to visit a website that require logging in without having to cram numerous key combinations to access your profile on those sites.

Apple alerts you when your logins get compromised. You’ll also know when you’re reusing passwords on other sites, which increases the possibility your information could become compromised.

To find your password information:

1. In Safari on Mac, click on Safari in the toolbar at the top left.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Choose the Passwords tab.
4. Log in with your computer username and password.

Apple blocks website username and password information on this screen unless you click on the specific information. However, you can add up a layer of security by using a free third-party password manager.

You can in fact block all cookies

Even though its now mandatory for website owners to tell their visitors the kinds of cookies being used on their platforms, you can in fact block all cookies altogether if you don’t want any information logged on your Safari browser.

But in case you don’t know what cookies are, they are a small of data which perform a number of features such as website authentication and remembering your settings on the website. For example, if you toggle on the Dark mode on Brumpost, you won’t need to do that again when next you come back to Brumpost as that setting is stored as a cookie on your browser.

Unfortunately, spammers like to use rogue cookies to spread viruses, malware, and other dangerous code. Apple’s software development team has done enough to curb this however since there is no 100% guarantee when it comes to the internet, you might just want to deactivate things all together.

Depending on your situation, you may want to block all cookies on websites. This doesn’t come recommended.

To do this:

1. In Safari on Mac, click on Safari in the toolbar at the top left.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Choose Privacy.
4. Toggle on the box next to Block All Cookies.
5. In the warning box, choose Block.

Keep in mind, when you block all cookies, certain websites will no longer put out the welcome mate, which could prove frustrating after a while.

A better solution might be to delete cookies for specific websites only.  Accordingly, to delete cookies but still, accept them going forward:

1. In Safari on Mac, click on Safari in the toolbar at the top left.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Choose Privacy.
4. Select the Manage Website Data… button.
5. Highlight the website(s) you wish to remove cookies from the list.
6. Click Remove.

Apple has done a lot to ensure your experience on the internet is well secured which is why you should opt for an upgrade to the current MacOS Big Sur. While some features are turned on by default, the aforementioned settings can be done manually to ensure your safe surfing of the internet.