Understanding the Digital Frontier: Examining Privacy and Data Security in Desktop Web Browsers

In an era where the privacy and security of web users’ data are paramount concerns for governments, practitioners, and cybersecurity researchers, the imperative need for fortified web browsers is evident. Serving as the primary interface for personal information entry, online transactions, and data exchange, web browsers play a pivotal role in the digital landscape. This paper conducts a comprehensive survey of privacy and security issues in desktop web browsers, alongside a detailed case study on their latest versions, to address three critical questions: (Q1) The security level of default browsers, (Q2) The extent of information extraction from user profiles during online browsing, and (Q3) Strategies for users to enhance online privacy and security. Additionally, the paper scrutinizes the performance of prominent desktop browsers - Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Internet Explorer - against established privacy and security requirements. The case study’s findings reveal a consistent leakage of confidential user data in default browser versions. In response, users are urged to heighten security awareness, adhere to best practices for safe browsing, and augment default settings with additional security mechanisms to comprehensively shield their privacy.