"Web-Browser Configuration Wiki Page Notes
- Note_1 Read-Only public wiki page.
- Note_2 Read/Write OIT wiki page.
- Note_3 Move / Copy to a public wiki space.
- Note_4 Add-to, edit, and modify after suggested content is approved by OIT.
- Note_5 Please feel free to add content, and include references.
Introduction and Purpose.
The Web-Browser configuration OIT wiki page is designed to provide detailed information, and guidance regarding the configuration and usage of various web-browsers listed.
This is both a description of how-to configure, and a best practices guide for web-browsers. The information provided will enhance user knowledge of web-browsers configuration and operation with the goal of providing secure access to UCI 1, UCI-OIT 2, and UC 3 applications and web-sites.
1 UCI — University of California, Irvine.
2 UCI-OIT and OIT — Office of Information and Technology.
3 UC — University of California.
Web-Browser informational external web-site links.
Please refer to the following external web-sites for information pertaining to Web-Browser terminology, technologies, and detailed "how-to" instructions.
- Web-Browser history
- A list of past, and present web-browsers
- Mobile device Web-Browsers
- Web-Browser Markup Languages / Document Content
- Web-Browser interpretive languages.
- Web-Browser Java Applets
1 CCS is "Cascading Style Sheets"
2 Parent web-browser scripting language of the following languages — JavaScript, ActionScript, and JScript.
3 Ubiquitous and prevalently used of the common web-browser scripting languages.
4 Adobe corporation's specialized scripting language.
5 Microsoft corporation's Internet Explorer scripting language.
Web-Browser Configuration Guide
General Web-Browser Configuration Notes.
- Enable Pop-Window blocking. 1
- Selectivity allow web-sites to display Pop-Windows only if required for the application function properly.
- Disable Java. 2
- Enable Java only when it is necessary for accessing web-site / application functionality.
- Once access to the web-site / application is completed then disable Java.
- Enable JavaScript.
- Selective display JavaScript if you are accessing a web-sites of unknown trust that are potential security risks.
- Use https when accessing UC, UCI, and UCI-OIT web-sites whenever possible.
- Always follow UCI and UC security policies — Security Wiki Pages
1 Web-browser Pop-Window information
2 Java Virtual Machine information
FireFox Web-Browser Configuration.
Start the FireFox in order to configure the following user defined settings.
- Start FireFox web-browser application.
- If you have multiple FireFox user profiles defined then configuration of user defined setting is required for each profile defined. 1
- Open the FireFox options window.
- Windows and Linux Select Tools --> Options
- Mac Computers
- Select the FireFox application window to make the "active" application.
- Select FireFox --> Preferences OR Command key + ,
The FireFox options ("preferences") window appears, and the following user option sections are displayed.
Windows System – Open FireFox web-browser options window
- General – Configure the following general preferences.
- General or Main Preferences Figure
- Startup home page display URL 2 value.
- File download processing, and save to directory location.
- Plugin management and preferences.
- Tabs – Configure Tab browsing settings.
- Tab Preferences figure
- Content – Web-page content browser settings.
- Content preferences figure
- Block pop-up windows.
- Best practice is to enable blocking pop-up windows, and only allow selected application web-sites to open pop-up windows.
- Load images automatically.
- Enable JavaScript
- Best practice is to general enable JavaScript processing for web-sites, but if there is a doubt regarding the authenticity, functionality or trust-worthiness of a specific web-site then either disable JavaScript and proceed, or do not visit the web-site.
- Note OIT web applications utilize JavaScript in order to function correctly.
- Privacy Preferences.
- Privacy Preferences figure
- Security Preferences.
- Security Preferences figure
- Enable – "Warn me when sites try to install add-ons."
- Enable – "Block reported attack sites."
- Enable – "Block reported web forgeries."
- Disable – "Remember passwords for sites."
- Disable – "Use a master password."
- Advanced Settings
- Advanced Settings figure
- Block pop-up windows.
2 URL – Uniform Resource Locator