Securing Your Opera Browser

General Discussion (off topic) Anything and everyt
#1

Secure Your Opera Browser [Guide]

If you still not have Opera browser, download it from their website. :-TU

This settings will show you “How to surf more secure and private in Opera browser”
These changes won’t effect your usability but improve your privacy & security. :slight_smile:

1 - First of all check your Opera version, go to opera://about/ Opera automaticaly updates itself.

2 - Lets go to Settings of Opera, press Alt+P
In this page, scroll down to bottom and check “Block third-party cookies and site data”

https://s11.postimg.org/47vgqf0er/screenshot1.png

Move on to “Browser” tab

See How To Move Between Settings

https://s11.postimg.org/ned97c6ab/screenshot1.png

Scroll down to this page and check “Show advanced settings” option. Then find the settings shown in the screenshot and make them like in the screenshot. Check “Show full URL in combined search and address bar” and un-check “Show popular searches”
If you want to use your battery on your laptop with Opera, enable “Save Battery” option.

https://s11.postimg.org/rorx2xbdf/screenshot.png

Move on to “Websites” tab

Do not allow any website to know your location

https://s11.postimg.org/6t5mrof6b/screenshot.png

Move on to “Privacy & Security” tab

Enable “Block Ads” option if you are not using any adlocker on your Opera browser, and remove all exceptions from ‘Manage exceptions’! If you block ads, webpages will load faster and look cleaner. By blocking ads, you also block the source of many tracking cookies.
You can see how many ads blocked on pages end of the URL bar :slight_smile:
1

https://s11.postimg.org/4i2z9rf0z/screenshot1.png

2

https://s11.postimg.org/5yehrwhxv/screenshot1.png

Opera’s built-in adblocker uses Easylist and EasyPrivacy by default. Don’t worry you can add filters you need which uses Easylist rule syntax!

1 - You can get many filters from FilterLists website.

2 - Click view button of desired filter, copy the URL of the filter.
3 - Go to Opera adblocker settings
4 - Open “Custom block lists”

https://s11.postimg.org/6ctlwq66r/screenshot.png

5- Then paste the URL of the new filter and press ‘Enter’

https://s11.postimg.org/w9rvn2z83/screenshot.png

Congrats you are using the new filter with Opera’s built-in adblocker 8)

Privacy Section Settings

  • Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar,
  • Predict network actions to improve page load performance,
  • Help improve Opera by sending feature usage information and
  • Automatically send crash reports to Opera.

These options send anonymous data about your behavior and browsing habits to Opera. Opera trying to collect telemetry data to know new trends of their users to give better services. Typical users can safely leave all options ticked here, but if you are concerned about your privacy disable these options.

Check these options,

  • Protect me from malicious site
  • Send a ‘Do Not Track’ request with your browsing traffic

Enable VPN feature.
Normally, your browser connects directly to websites, allowing websites to identify your IP address and its approximate location. With VPN, you connect to websites via a VPN server. As a result, your apparent location changes to the location of the server.

Opera has built-in WebRTC Leak prevent (Disable non-proxied UDP), make sure that this option is enabled while you are using VPN feature or your desktop VPN application. This will improve your privacy :-TU

https://s15.postimg.org/sg9ok3y6z/screenshot.png

VPN is a free service, and the amount of data you are allowed to transfer is unlimited.

https://s11.postimg.org/tj4rknydv/screenshot.png

after all these you can close the Settings tab :slight_smile:

Go to opera://flags/

  • Search for “PPAPI Win32k lockdown” and set “All plug-ins”

https://s11.postimg.org/lro1m3u8j/screenshot.png

  • Search for “AppContainer lockdown” and set it “Enabled”

https://s11.postimg.org/tyg1dokb7/screenshot.png

  • Search “Warn about local, unknown roots” and set it “Enabled”

https://s21.postimg.org/xs26o5i9z/screenshot.png

If you want to improve your browsing, you can add security/privacy extensions to your Opera browser.

If you didn’t like Opera’s built-in adblocker,
then please use uBlock Origin > uBlock Origin extension - Opera add-ons

HTTPS Everywhere > https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/https-everywhere/
Privacy Badger > Privacy Badger extension - Opera add-ons

I do not recommend recording your passwords into browsers. You can use LastPass extension to store your passwords.
LastPass > https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/lastpass/
If you want ‘offline’ options you can also use Password Safe.

#2

Useful guide. Thanks.

#3

I felt approved 8) Thanks JoWa for the comment, I tried to use only built-in settings of Opera to secure the browser. :-TU

#4

You might add these commands, which are not available in opera://flags/.

--enable-strict-mixed-content-checking
Silently blocks active and passive insecure content in a secure context.

--ssl-version-max=tls1.3
Enables TLS 1.3 (draft) in Opera 41+.

#5

Please edit my first post as you wish :wink: You are a mod, and you can add information about these :-TU

#6

I like Opera but I’ve always had the same problem with updating :'(. I run my computer under a limited account and Opera reports an updated version is available and starts downloading. It gets to 100% and then a re-launch. I go to about, and Opera reports the previous version and goes through the updating process again and again… . Next I run Opera as administrator (under limited account) and it reports a new version is available but that is it (doesn’t start downloading ???). I’ve tried under the administrator account but the same process of updating, re-launching, updating, re-launching, etc. What am I doing wrong?

I’m running the 64-bit version but I can’t seem to locate it on Opera’s website. Each time I find a different download, it reports it wanting to install in “Program Files (x86)”

Btw, thanks for the guide.

:slight_smile:

#7

Did you install Opera under a LUA (and click No in the UAC-prompt)? That installs Opera in Users rather than Program Files.

#8

Under a LUA, I would normally right-click on the installation file, select “Run as Administrator” and then enter the administrator password when prompted. Having taken a second look under Opera’s “About”, it’s reporting the OS as 64-bit rather than the browser :-[. This would make sense as my shortcut was pointing to “Program Files (x86)” anyway. Still, not sure why it downloads the update, asks to restart and then back at the same version. Just seems to go in a loop under either the limited or administrator account.

:slight_smile:

#9

I suggest a new installation, where you run the installer as user. You may want to save your profile folder before uninstalling Opera.

#10

Note that these features are available only on Windows 8+.
See Sandbox

#11

Many thanks guys with all the Security Tweaks for Opera.

Some of it I already have and the rest I need to get it fixed

Thanks again :slight_smile:

#12

I added all those fixing,

I guess, I do not need Ublock running now and just keep HTTPS Everywhere and Privacy Badger?

Nige

Edit: At the moment it’s disabled Ublock only

#13

I have Windows 7 SP1 64bit…
Those settings is available for me!

You do not need uBlock Origin, you can add filters to Opera’s built-in adblocker. or keep uBlock Origin and disable Opera’s adblocker.
Your choice :slight_smile:

#14

Thanks for that yigido,

However, strangely enough, I did all the settings except JoWa ones. And I disabled Ublock and my Opera became sluggish.

Before, I did your setting I had Opera Adblock and no custom settings and Ublock running and it ran smooth.

So I have now Removed custom list and turned off Build in Opera blocker. And Re Enabled Ublock and I only notice a little difference. But faster and not a sluggish. Therefore, the settings under flags can that slow it down ?

Just a Question.

Nigel

Edit: I Unchecked Do Not Track and Re started Opera, now Opera is fast again. I dunno how, it just has.

#15

My settings have no effect on speed…I realize no slowdown…

You can use uBlock if you feel more faster with it :slight_smile:

#16

Yeah, Thanks for that yigido :slight_smile:

#17

Have fun with Opera :-TU 8)

#18

Yes, the settings are available in Opera, but the features they are supposed to enable are not available/implemented on Windows 7. Use Process Explorer to verify the actual integrity level (Untrusted, not AppContainer).

#19

So they are useless on Windows 7… we should use Windows 8.1 at least :frowning:

#20

For me I have to disable this > “PPAPI Win32k lockdown” and set “All plug-ins”

Since I use Opera’s inbuilt PDF often and it shows up cannot load Plug in do I will have to change it back.

As or Opera been using it mainly since it came out in the old days.