Thread: Some Security/Privacy Scripts

Here are a few scripts I have selected from a security/privacy perspective. This could be useful for those who does not use FF, and so are depriving themselves of the large amount of security/privacy addons FF provides.


Web Bug Detector

Upon loading a site it gathers a list of all objects tagged "img" that are 1 x 1 pixels in size and that have a url associated with them, then it makes them a lot more visible.

This produces a green box 101 x 101 pixels with a 7 pixel RED border that marks the bug ... when you right-click -> Propeties it should say "Alternate text: WeB BuG"

Do not Remember Me

Some websites, such as Userscripts.org, Hotmail, and Google Accounts have the option to be remembered selected by default. The script removes these checkmarks from these options so that they are not selected by default.

In addition, the "public computer" option on Slashdot is not selected by default. This script ensures that such an option would be selected by default.

GooglePrivacy

Normally each link on a Google search page has an mousedown script that
sends a request to their servers telling them what you clicked on.
It's an invasion of privacy and it slows down your connection.
This kills off the bounce script.

Does not disable Urchin Tracker, get Adblock for that.

If anyone notices anything else that Google is using to track users, leave a comment
and I'll add it into the next version.

Notice that for FF users a Google Privacy addon (still in beta) is avaible since recently.



Yahoo News Privacy

Basically googlePrivacy for Yahoo News.
It works for most links on the page, but there are still a few (like the videos along the bottom) that keep their tracking code.

Google Hide Location Data

Hides location data on Google home page and Google Shopping page* (see note below). A simple mix of the JS deletion command - to stop flash-on-page-load, for maximum privacy - and a bit of CSS to ensure leftover bits get cleaned up (but designed so you can use just the JS delete commands *or* just the CSS).

*Also removes "sort" functionality from Shopping page. If this is a big deal you may not want to use this script. Future versions may or may not restore this functionality.

Hayst.ac Search Obfuscator
A little similar to the FF addon "Track Me Not":

Creates fake searches and fake clickthroughs for search terms generated by the Hayst.ac web search tool.

Hayst.ac, formerly known as the Haystack Project, is an initiative for creating tools to obfuscate search queries with machine-generated queries that are designed to be as close to indistinguishable from the human generated ones as possible. This is ultimately to discourage the use of search histories as a source of user profiling and incrimination.

But does this script really work ?



SecuReddit

Ensures all reddit page requests to be sent via SSL.

Thumbnails, images, CSS, javascript files are still requested via regular HTTP (as they're requested before the script kicks in).

Such requests will include related cookies, so using this userscript won't stop someone hijacking your session as they can still intercept your session cookie from the CSS/JS/images being requested.

It will however prevent third parties being able to monitor which pages you're viewing.

Remove Google Redirect

Google now adds redirect in every links of search result, that means those links will open slower and has the potential invades user's privacy. And Google DO NOT allow user to remove that ("Don't be evil"? Too silly to believe that)! This script remove those redirector.
*******
note: You may need to add you include URL @include if you aren't using Google, eg, Google, Google

It also works well with Instant Search.

Feel free to comment, criticize, complete this list!

In addition to Google privacy another addon like it is GoogleSharing :: A Special Kind Of Proxy.
It doesn't support FF over version 5 without modifying it or using Addon Compability Reporter: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...lity-reporter/

Another addon to think about using is BeeFree.
It removes tracking parts from links when you click on a search result.

I have never used RGR. So I don't know.
But BeeFree has always done it's job for me.
And it works for several search engines, not just Google.

Originally Posted by Grambo

I have never used RGR. So I don't know.
But BeeFree has always done it's job for me.
And it works for several search engines, not just Google.

Yes, BeeFree and Google Sharing do they work. The only "problem I have with such addons is "conceptual': the proxies' manager of these addons knows what you are looking at on Google when proxies are used (it's the case with Google Sharing) or when a third party in involving for manipulate your search results. It's then possible for such tool to know a lot of you, in place of Googl or other search engines. So it seems using such proxyfication addons or addons requiring third party consists in a displacement of your confidence, from eg Google to the third party...

Concerning Search Engine, I have to mention StartPage: Basically, it's the privacy-friendly meta search engine Ixquick + powered by Google.

StartPage's Privacy Policy

StartPage's Settings


But of course in using it, you have to trust the StartPage's admins