Microsoft Edge offers powerful security features to protect your online privacy and browsing experience, though they aren’t all enabled by default. These are the features I use, and I recommend you do too.
Make sure you’re using the latest version of Microsoft Edge so that the features discussed in the guide are available.
1 Enable Enhanced Security Mode
Enhanced security mode in Microsoft Edge adds a layer of protection to your browsing experience by applying stricter settings on sites you don’t visit frequently. It also uses your operating system’s protection measures to strengthen Edge’s security. For Windows users, these are features like Hardware Enforced Stack Protection, Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG), and Control Flow Guard (CFG).
Enhanced security mode is also an adaptive security measure, meaning Edge will learn from your browsing habits and adapt the settings accordingly.
To turn on enhanced security mode, click the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the screen and select Settings > Privacy, Search, and Services > Security. Scroll down to the Enhance Your Security on the Web section and turn on the toggle.
Keep the setting at “Balanced” so you have a good balance between usability and protection. Setting it to “Strict” might impact how some sites work, but it offers the maximum security against online threats.
2 Use Microsoft Defender SmartScreen
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen protects your computer from malware and phishing attacks. It scans every website you visit or file you download on Edge and blocks the action if there’s a high risk of harm to your device. It also prevents you from downloading potentially unwanted programs (PUPs).
To enable this feature, go to Settings > Privacy, Search, and Services > Security, and toggle on the “Microsoft Defender SmartScreen” and “Block Potentially Unwanted Apps” options.
3 Turn On Tracking Prevention
Trackers collect information about your browsing habits. This information can be shared with third parties without your consent, which can lead to targeted ads, identity theft, and cyberattacks. Not every site uses trackers to improve your browsing experience.
Tracking prevention in Microsoft Edge blocks trackers from websites you haven’t visited and those known to be harmful.
To enable tracking prevention, go to Settings > Privacy, Search, and Services > Tracking Prevention, and ensure the toggle is turned on.
I recommend you pick “Balanced” to ensure that you are well-protected without the tracking prevention interfering with some of the functionality of the websites you visit.
4 Automatically Clear Browsing Data
Edge stores certain data to improve the browsing experience. For instance, it might store form data to make filling forms faster or passwords to make logging into sites faster. If you’re uncomfortable with this information remaining in Edge, you can tell the browser to clear it every time you close it.
To do that, go to Settings > Privacy, Search, and Services > Clear Browsing Data, and click “Choose What to Clear Every Time You Close Your Browser.”
Toggle the options you want cleared every time you close the browser. For instance, I toggled on “Cached Images and Files” and “Autofill Form Data,” since that’s the data I don’t want the browser to store.
5 Enable Automatic HTTPS
When you enable the automatic HTTPS feature, Edge will switch the HTTP part of the URL to HTTPS to make the connection to the website more secure.
In a nutshell, HTTPS encrypts the information in the URL before sending it to the destination website—the only one that can decrypt it—and vice versa. This makes it hard for anyone who intercepts it to decipher its contents.
Since this is an experimental feature, you must enable it using flags. Copy and paste edge://flags/#edge-automatic-https in the address bar and press Enter.
An experimental feature in Edge is a new functionality that is in development and needs further testing. Enabling it could cause some instability.
Click the dropdown next to “Automatic HTTPS” and select the “Enabled” option.
6 Perform a Password Security Check Regularly
Microsoft Edge’s Password Security Check scans your saved passwords to identify potential security risks. It helps detect compromised, reused, or weak passwords that could make your accounts vulnerable to attacks.
To do a password security check in Edge, navigate to Settings > Profiles > Passwords.
Click “Password Security Check” for Microsoft Edge to analyze the passwords for the available sites.
After it’s done, Edge will show all your leaked, reused, or weak passwords so you can take action.
These Microsoft Edge security features provide essential protection for your online activities. Remember that you shouldn’t place online security solely in the hands of your browser. You also need to take additional steps for comprehensive online safety, including always using strong passwords, staying cautious with links, and keeping your system updated.
