debcook

2008-08-0821:30:47 

Browsing the Internet without leaving a trail behind has its benefits. Cookies set on public computers reveal personal information to anyone looking. A trail of visited websites get left behind each time a browsing session ends.

Cookies and the like are not a problem on a home or laptop computer but what about when you are away from home. Living a mobile life - even if it is a small part of your life – requires unique and inventive ways to protect your privacy. Can you believe that an ordinary flash drive can solve this problem?

When I first read about browsing the Internet from a flash drive it was difficult for me to comprehend how it would work. So I downloaded the free “Portable Firefox” (a slimed down version of Mozilla) onto one of my USB flash drives. I followed the directions that simply included clicking on the “portableFirefox.exe” file and there it was – my own fully functional mobile Internet browser.

I was able to start a favorites list that will follow me wherever I go. If I was a Fire Fox user initially (which I am not) I could have imported my favorites list and history from my computer. No record of my browsing is left behind on any computer as long as I have this USB flash drive plugged into it.

My laptop is always in my bag but sometimes I just do not want to spend the time and effort to boot it up. If I am visiting a friend it is sometimes easier to use their desktop for a quick browsing session. It is great to check my web mail without worrying about entering my username and password. In fact there are a lot of sites that I have to sign into including my blog sites.

Even if I trust others not to snoop – how can I expect them not to be curios about what I did while using their computer. A history of the websites I am interested in would be left behind without my flash drive browser.

Portable Firefox has many features including one that protects against malware. I have a healthy fear of viruses so this is welcome information for me.

My flash drive browser is just another way to keep my mobile life on track. It does not take up much space but can provide an added dimension of personalized Internet browsing.