A look at the XeroBank Browser
Update: The XeroBank Browser has been retired. I suggest you use the Tor Browser instead which offers similar functionality.
XeroBank Browser, or xB Browser which was previously called Torpark, is a portable browser based on Firefox with security and privacy add-ons that can be run out of the box. The burden of installing all those extensions and softwares and making sure that they work correctly is taken of the users hand which should appeal to many users who do not have the time or knowledge to take care of that by themselves.
XeroBank Browser uses the Tor network to route the traffic through that network to ensure the anonymity of the data. Traffic is not only routed through several Tor servers but also encrypted to avoid - or at least make it more difficulty - to eavesdrop.
Several Firefox extensions have been installed that enhance security and privacy on the Internet. NoScript disables Javascript on websites while Adblock Plus removes most advertisements from websites. No traces are left on the computer as well since all caches and histories are deleted when exiting the Xerobank Browser.
The added security and privacy slows down the data streams which means that it takes a little bit longer to access websites. I did not try file downloads at all but I suppose this holds true for them as well.
The XeroBank Browser is best used in my opinion on an external device such as an USB memory stick while on the road. It is far better to use this browser in a public place than the default one that is installed there. The advantages are of course that you do not leave any traces on the computer that you used to access the Internet and that your traffic - that is traffic in your browser - is encrypted so that no one is able to spy on that as well.
I do not think however that it is necessary to use the XeroBank browser at home because all of those extensions that it is installing can be installed manually as well. Not many users want to disable Javascript completely for instance or use Tor to read the latest daily news on a local news website.
If you are interested in additional information about the xB Browser check out its Wikipedia web page.
I think I like portable tor using vidalia and privoxy better than xerobank. It allows you to see all three proxies that are being used in the vidalia network map. Privoxy has some unique setting for redirection and blocking adds. And you can close off any of the connections that are running off of zero bandwith.
Only problem is that it tend to change connections without asking. If it would stay on the same connection then it would be perfect.
No it is not paid to use. There is a free version using Tor and a paid version using their own network
Opps
XeroBank Browser is a paid to use service….
Have a try some free service.
Well, some things in this article really need corrections:
– CONTRARY to this article it makes much more sense to use it at home than in a public place (unless you have your own laptop with you of course). The whole purpose of this browser is to prevent your ISP from spying on you, and with enough persistence it is NOT effective until you own the computer with which you are browsing. Simple keylogger (installed on a computer you use but you don’t have complete control over it) can steal your passwords for example, other more sophisticated methods can reveal everything else (automatic “screenshoter”, artificial proxies, etc.).
– it is not the ultimate solution to encrypting the traffic of http and ftp protocols completely, because, although the traffic is really encrypted, but NOT between you and the target server, moreover, moreover, the traffic between the outgoing (third) Tor server and the target server is NOT encrypted, (unless you use https protocol or other independent methods of encryption), you really need to read some more about the Tor network,
– enabling Javascript or Flash kind of defeats the whole purpose of this browser, because the scripts written in Javascript and Actionscript (the scripting language used in Flash) are really bypassing the Tor network and connect directly to the server,
– this browser is NOT intended to be used as your regular browser, in fact you are discouraged to do so, because it saturates the Tor network (which is big, but still it has limited resources). The only sensible reason to use it is to connect to some server without your ISP knowing it
– it is wrong to conclude that simply deleting the files with cache means that “No traces are left on the computer […]”, because these files can be later undeleted.
TOR == slow page loading, at least in my ip range…
help we need more proxy sites!!! i neeed to get on myspace! thank u very much…. =]
Hi,
It seems this browser wont work in PCs behind a proxy. Is it so?
Whenever I start it in such a PC, it just tries to establish Tor network and keeps on doing that.
Is there a workaround for this? or
Will this work only in PCs with direct connections to net?
Thanks for the recommendation! :D