Computer/Network security and WebRTC
I was looking at security for my network set-up. Made aware that 
there is yet another security problem but this time with browsers. It 
is called WebRTC. Actually it is a process that provides browsers and 
mobiles with real-time capability and so supposedly 'enriching' the 
experience. Yeah, but it also comes with a problem. First of all, if 
users use a VPN it is possible that the 'real' IP address is leaked. Web
 browsers tend to implement WebRTC in such a way that it allows them to 
send requests to so-called STUN Servers
 which will return your local and public IP address. The 
requested results are available in Javascript, making them much more 
accessible. It is not the VPN  we are using but it is with the browser 
(Firefox, Chrome and a few more). It is called a Web leak. Can we do 
anything? Yes, we can. Most of us use Firefox and this allows us to stop
 WebRTC as most of us don't really need it. Type "about:config" in the 
Firefox address bar (without the apostrophes), scroll down and look for 
the entry - 'media.peerconnection.enabled' and change the value from 
true to false. This will stop the possible WebRTC leaks. To check 
whether your set-up does 'leak', do the following. Use the tools that 
are available - Browserleaks will check for WebRTC leaks with their leak
 test tool.
In the case of browsers where WebRTC can’t be disabled, you need to use third-party browser add-ons or extensions to solve the problem. If you use Chrome, download uBlock Origin or use the available Chrome extension. It is the same solution for Opera although use the Opera extension and not Chrome's. Or you can change to a VPN service like ExpressVPN that have a built-in rule. I must say - stay away from free VPN services. Why? Well, even if you do all the browser set-ups the data that you still provide will be used on a commercial basis and sold.
By the way - even mobiles (Android) suffer from this so do the same for your mobile!
Lastly, everyone ought to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and in doing so, hide your real IP address and even come from a different country. There can be some interesting quirks that if you do change to a 'foreign' server you can get replies and websites in their language. But I find generally speaking that this is rare. Have fun.
In the case of browsers where WebRTC can’t be disabled, you need to use third-party browser add-ons or extensions to solve the problem. If you use Chrome, download uBlock Origin or use the available Chrome extension. It is the same solution for Opera although use the Opera extension and not Chrome's. Or you can change to a VPN service like ExpressVPN that have a built-in rule. I must say - stay away from free VPN services. Why? Well, even if you do all the browser set-ups the data that you still provide will be used on a commercial basis and sold.
By the way - even mobiles (Android) suffer from this so do the same for your mobile!
Lastly, everyone ought to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and in doing so, hide your real IP address and even come from a different country. There can be some interesting quirks that if you do change to a 'foreign' server you can get replies and websites in their language. But I find generally speaking that this is rare. Have fun.
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