untangling_the_web

DID: 4046925
UNCLASSIFIEDlIFOR OFFICIAL I:JSE ONLY
~l Remember Passwords:
................................ , ,.
VoI'hen set, the rvlaster Password protects all your
passwords - but you must enter it once per session,
[ ... Set Master Password,.,J
~iew SavedPass'l.,'Ords
Now when you enter a password, Firefox will automatically ask you the following
question:
: .. .. .
Do you want Firefox to remember this password?
If you are going to allow Firefox to save your passwords, then I believe you must
also set a Master Password (and do not forget it). Otherwise, anyone with access to
your computer can view your saved passworos.l'" The Master Password will be
required for your saved passwords to be loaded. Firefox will prompt you to enter it
once per session when it is needed. You can also manage saved passwords and
delete individual passwords by clicking the "View Saved Passwords" button. Keep in
mind that the Master Password is required in order to change or remove the Master
Password, which is why it is important not to forget it (of course, there are hacks for
resetting it if you have forgotten it). With a Master Password in place, in principle no
one can see your passwords unless he also has your Master Password. However,
the Firefox Master Password is not going to stop a knowledgeable malicious hacker
with full access to your computer from getting the Master Password and, indeed, all
your passwords, but if someone has full file-level access to your computer, you are
already in deep trouble.
Finally, I recommend using the Firefox feature that will clear your personal
information automatically:
Select Tools I Options I Privacy I Settings and check "Clear private data when
closing Firefox," then click OK twice.
183 Some people have discovered, usually the hard way, that viewing someone else's Tools I Options
I Privacy I View Saved Passwords I Passwords Never Saved may reveal some rather shocking facts
about sites the other person has visited. This only works if Firefox is set to Remember Passwords
and the user chose "Never for this site."
UNCLASSIFIEDHFOR OFFICIAL l:JSE ONLY 535