Better Browsing Options for Windows 11

In today’s age where virtually every behavior we make online or using a digital browser can be quantified, measured, and analyzed, it feels that considerations around online privacy and security while browsing often falls to the wayside.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, millions of people have been affected by cyber attacks. According to Deloitte, over 500,000 people fell victim to digital breaches that saw their personal data being gathered from video conferencing software and sold on the dark web. Similarly, nearly half of all employees who worked remotely or from home during the pandemic claimed to fall for phishing scams during that time.

The unfortunate truth is that anyone with a gap in their online security can fall victim to cyber-attacks. Even defensive measures such as VPNs and complicated ever-changing passwords do little — if anything — to stop a malicious attack once a breach has begun. This makes finding and using a more secure internet browser that better protects your personal information and privacy paramount. With PC trailblazer Microsoft’s latest iteration of their Windows OS, Windows 11, having released earlier this month, it’s crucial that anyone with an internet connection understands the better and more secure browsing options available with the new software.

Digital Windows to a more secure outlook

According to PC Magazine’s lead analyst, Neil J. Rubenking, Microsoft’s Windows 11 OS, “…is all about security. It requires a PC that’s capable of Secure Boot, which prevents malware from attacking the boot process.” 

The only catch is that, while Secure Boot doesn’t necessarily have to be enabled at present, the PC you plan to use Windows 11 on must support it and, “…have a TPM chip to manage cryptographic keys and protect your PC’s operating system and firmware,” Rubenking adds. Essentially, this TPM chip serves as a figurative Fort Knox for your PC’s security, as it validates both software and hardware components to prevent external tampering.

Because software like Microsoft’s own Outlook email service platform, along with common internet browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox utilize your PC’s TPM chip for encryption tasks, this means that finding a more secure browser to use with your Windows 11-capable PC is crucial to continue protecting your private information and digital data. While Google Chrome has undoubtedly been the most popular browser for users over the past 5 years, boasting roughly 80% of all browser market share since 2018, but it is not without its red flags—almost all of which are centric to Google’s infamous tracking of its users’ online browsing behavior and data for its own corporate interests.

Google Chrome’s big privacy problem

Chrome’s closed-source browser is owned and operated by one of the world’s largest and most profitable companies that achieved its success from collecting the data and analyzing the behavior of its users. Chrome is no stranger to critics highlighting the browser’s conspicuous lack of meaningful protection measures against malicious cyber attacks and criminals, and just earlier this summer admitted that it had, “‘accidentally’ allowed for millions of its users to be tracked.”

For Chrome users looking to update their PC to Windows 11, continuing to use Google’s browser could virtually undo the extra security and privacy protections integrated into Microsoft’s latest OS. Though Microsoft implores users to use its own browser software, Microsoft Edge, a flaw in the browser’s security was pointed out in early 2020 that shows how Edge’s collection of personal user data can reveal much about their identity, with little to prevent it.

Other browsers such as Mozilla Firefox give users much more control over their privacy settings. But another lesser-known private browser exists that many Windows 11 users may find interesting, especially considering its unconventional origins.

‘AXplorer’ a better browsing option for Windows 11

Along with the rise in cybersecurity attacks and breaches last year, 2020 also saw an unprecedented rise in another digital sector: cryptocurrency. According to Investopedia, “cryptocurrency markets [in 2020] jumped to $760 billion…significantly up from their $185 billion market cap at the start of [2020].” While this surge was predominantly spearheaded by the likes of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto coins, it was also affected by the sheer number of new crypto coins emerging on the market.

One such coin is AXIA Coin (AXC), an asset-supported hyper-deflationary cryptocurrency that has seen increasing demand by traders on numerous popular crypto exchange platforms. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, however, AXC is not merely a coin. Rather, AXC offers holders and participants an entire digital ecosystem, integrating an all-in-one banking platform, chat and video communications, document cloud storage, email, and more—even their own internet browser called AXplorer.

According to AXIA project founder Nick Agar, the AXplorer browser not only offers a more secure browsing experience by not tracking user behavior, data or activity, but also offers users rewards for everyday browsing that can be seamlessly distributed into their AXC wallets. 

“AXplorer is a great entry point for users interested in digital currency,” says Agar, “and because of the hyper-deflationary economics of AXC, accumulating more now through using AXplorer and other AXIA platforms could be highly advantageous for participants over time.”  

For those looking to upgrade their PC’s OS to Windows 11 prior to 2022, AXplorer poses strong competition to other browsers that offer tools to remain secure and keep users’ personal information private. With enhanced security customization options such as the removal of unwanted online fingerprinting and other techniques used by third-party advertisers, AXplorer users can ultimately choose how, if at all, their data is made public. Furthermore, the more AXplorer is utilized, the more rewards users can receive, allowing them to earn more AXC and add more value to themselves as well as other members of the AXC ecosystem at the same time.

“Privacy while browsing is pivotal to the AXIA community,” Agar adds. “Creating a browser where users are able to fully control their data and earn rewards simultaneously helps us create a more secure digital future for everyone.”