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Tech Report: Mozilla Updates Firefox To Encrypt Google Searches

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Mozilla is releasing an updated Firefox browser that they say will make your surfing even safer. The new browser will automatically encrypt Google searches.

It creates a secure connection when you do a Google search. Google of course will still know what you're searching for because they need to in order to deliver the results, but anyone between you and Google won't.

So if there's some sort of leak on your network or if you're in a public place and using a Wi-Fi connection, the chances are greatly lowered that anyone can intercept those searches and that they are more private.

KCBS Tech Report:

There are still ways that some of the advertisers that Google cooperates with might still be able to track your searches, but other advertisers are less likely to know what you are searching for.

And here's a tip for you travelers that have used hotel computers. For instance, you may have needed to print out a boarding pass at a public computer. You can do a private or incognito browsing session. Every browser has this command. This way the browser won't cache or record your search history.

And you obviously want to make sure you are logging out when using public computers. I can recall times when I've gone to log into my Gmail account and before I could, someone else was already signed in.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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