Incognito mode
If only p0rn comes to mind when you hear about Private browsing (in Safari, in Internet Explorer, or in Mozilla Firefox), or the Incognito mode (in Google Chrome), then I’d say you’re thinking rather like that school Principal. (Thanks Sachin, for reminding me of that classic old joke.)
When I went hopping across India two years ago, and connecting from erratic and unsecure cybercafes, I’d spend half of my connected time clearing private details1 from those public machines. Some computers allowed me to install Firefox, while some didn’t. Some allowed me to plug my USB stick in—for using my portable browser off it, while some didn’t. In most instances, I’d have access only via an outdated default version of Internet Explorer—5 or 6 typically. I used cybercafes not just for quick connectivity, but also to check my email, and buy flight tickets for my next unscheduled destination.2
Private information left by candid users was scary. It was too easy, and too stupid to be true. And yet, there were these computers in cybercafes full of saved usernames, passwords, chat histories, telephone numbers, credit card numbers in browser history!
I lived in a paranoia for a month while on the move—hoping and praying that none of those machines I used were keylogged, or that I hadn’t forgotten to erase any of my private interaction data. And I kept checking my bank statements for any fraudulent transactions.
If you get my drift, then this incognito mode feature, especially in Google Chrome—together with its installation location3 is a step in the right direction.
- Web addresses, usernames, passwords, and autocomplete texts, among others. [←]
- I was in a situation in which, I could not plan my travel, because it depended on responses from certain authorities I was dealing with. [←]
- It allows any user to install Google Chrome without requiring Admin intervention—even on Admin locked machines. [←]