We recently saw that Google Chrome, in its latest update, had released the ECH compatibility. Now it’s Mozilla Firefox’s turn, which is another of the main browsers. Furthermore, it is a program that has always put a lot of effort into preserving the privacy of users.
Firefox supports ECH
But what exactly is this ECH? They are the acronyms of Encrypted Client Hello. It is part of the TLS protocol and its function is to protect the SNI, which is what operators can use to block a web page so that we cannot access it. It is what allows you to have truly secure and private browsing.
What it does is encrypt the start of the connection, that first “hello”, between the device we use, such as a computer or mobile phone, and the destination web server. This will allow operators to not really know where we are accessing. They will not have that information and, therefore, browsing will be more private.
It must be taken into account that much of our data, such as passwords, bank card numbers or cookies, is encrypted through TLS. What ECH is doing is acting as an extension of this protocol and further extending the possibility of encrypting browsing and making it more private. This prevents the browser from sending, unencrypted, the name of the website we are accessing.
For example, if you enter RedesZone from a browser that does not use ECH, your operator will be able to know that you are accessing this website. When using it with Firefox, it will use a public key that it obtains from DNS and encrypts that first message between the browser and the web. It is certainly an important privacy improvement.
This feature will be available by default. Therefore, you will not have to do anything else. You just have to make sure you have the latest version of Mozilla Firefox and you can enjoy this privacy improvement.
One more measure of privacy
It should be noted that Mozilla has been applying this for years. changes that improve privacy and security when browsing. Introducing ECH is further proof of its commitment to achieving more private connections and being able to correctly protect browsing data.
Keep in mind that having maximum privacy does not mean that you are completely protected. You can suffer computer attacks and see how your passwords, personal data or the proper functioning of your devices are at risk. That is why it is advisable to take certain measures to protect your safety.
For example, you should always have your browser updated. This will prevent vulnerabilities that can be exploited to compromise your security. Always make sure you have all patches and updates, regardless of whether it is an operating system or any program you use.
