Private browsing mode offers insufficient protection

[Peaches]

Private browsing mode offers insufficient protection

According to a recent study, using your browser in privacy mode may leave behind more traces on your computer and on the net than you think. The authors discovered data leaks in the four most popular browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari) that potentially disclose a user's internet behaviour to others sharing their PC and to web page operators. The study says that private browsing has been implemented differently in each browser. For instance, Safari only covers up local traces; even in private mode, users take their entire cookie collection with them on their travels through the web.

In the browsers tested, web pages which generate SSL key pairs, or offer self-signed certificates for installation, leave traces on a computer that allow intruders to find out about a user's page visits after the private browsing session is closed – as long as the intruder has access to the computer. The reverse is also possible: As self-signed certificates installed during normal browser operation are also available in private mode, web page operators can potentially conclusively identify their visitors.

A must read here for full story: http://www.h-online....on-1052634.html

Also read about private browsing mode here: 'Porn mode' not necessarily anonymous

http://news.cnet.com/security/