Google Chrome Discussion

ashleyk

I am just playing with a browser called SRWare Iron, which is basically like Chrome, but supposedly without sending all your information to Google. I have just seen that you can add an extension for blocking ads but there was also a little note in red saying that:



"This extension can access:

Your data on all websites

Your browsing history"



My immediate thought on reading this is that it sounds like a major security risk and I wondered if there is a safe way to browse so you don't have to see hundreds of web banners on every page but also not allowing all your information to be potentially accessed by a plugin extension. Does 1Password get around this problem when filling in passwords etc. and is there a right or wrong way to use it in this instance?

khad

Hey ashleyk,



Any browser extensions you install can access pretty much all the information on the websites you visit. It is important to only install trusted extensions. Chrome extensions (the ones SRWare Iron uses) in the [url="https://chrome.google.com/webstore"]Chrome Web Store[/url] are vetted by Google .



If you click the link to "[url="http://www.google.com/support/chrome_webstore/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=186213&rd=1"]Learn More[/url]" underneath the warning you mention, you will find some helpful information from Google:



[indent]Apps and extensions you install may have access to your data. You might also see a warning dialog when an already installed extension or app is updated, if the item requests new or different permissions. [b]A warning doesn’t mean that the extension does do something dangerous, just that it could.[/b]



[b]Don’t install an app or extension unless you trust its creator. Check the item’s ratings and reviews to determine if it’s trustworthy.[/b]



Here are the permissions that apps and extensions may request:



[list]



[*]All data on your computer and the websites you visit

[*]Your list of installed apps, extensions, and themes

[*]Your bookmarks

[*]Your browsing history

[*]Your data on all websites

[*]Your data on {list of websites}

[*]Your physical location



[/list][/indent]



Emphasis added.



I'm not sure how this is related to 1Password other than the fact that 1Password also needs certain privileges within Chrome (or SRWare Iron) in order to perform its job.



Please only install 1Password's Chrome extension by clicking the "Install Chrome Extension" button in 1Password (Preferences > Browsers) or [url="http://aws.cachefly.net/dist/1P/mac/OnePasswordChrome.crx"]directly from our website[/url]. [i]Click that link in SRWare Iron to install the 1Password extension.[/i]



I hope that helps. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please let me know.



Thanks!

ashleyk

Thanks for the detailed explanation khad. In the past I have tried various browsers, however I invariably kept going back to Safari after a few days at most. Recently though I have become increasingly frustrated at how often Safari crashes, particularly when there is Flash content on a page and also noting that many pages are having display problems, while working perfectly well in alternatives like Chrome and FireFox.



SRWare Iron keeps asking for access to confidential information in my keychain when accessing pages with login details and then a little message pops up saying something about not being able to authenticate the identity of SRWare Iron, which seems odd, having never seen anything similar with other browsers. It doesn't seem to handle logins quite as smoothly as Safari, so I've set the preference not to save any passwords and I do it all through 1Password now, having also selected the extension mode to operate incognito.



I am trying not to be paranoid but at the same not negligent either and I think 1Password hopefully removes a great deal of the potential risks associated with account logins on the internet. On the whole I think I prefer the way that 1Password works with Safari but I gather that is a limitation of the Chrome based browsers. Out of curiosity is there any kind of consensus at Agile on which browser is the most secure?



The only extensions I have at present are ones that have been vetted by Google as you highlighted. Not a single crash here so far with SRWare Iron and it seems pretty fast as well with no rendering issues so I am hoping this may be the best overall solution.



Thanks



Ashley

khad

I'm glad I could be helpful. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



I too have switched from Safari to Chrome for stability. It really is rock solid. I don't think I have had a single problem with it since I have been using for many months now. Even if it does ever crash, I will only lose the tab that crashes. Flash has definitely crashed a site in Safari and taken down the whole browser. Not good. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_sadsmile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-(' />



As I said, I switched to Chrome (especially now that 1Password's Chrome extension is full of awesome), but I did two things to delay the switch while I was still trying to use Safari.



[list=1]



[*][url="http://daringfireball.net/2010/11/flash_free_and_cheating_with_google_chrome"]Uninstall Flash[/url]

[*]Install [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8247646/sessions/index.html"]Sessions[/url] Safari extension

[/list]

The first helps eliminate stability issues in Safari. The second helps recover when you still encounter them. It worked extremely well for a long time, but eventually Chrome won me over. I find it to be both more stable and quicker to restore tabs when I restart my Mac.



[quote]SRWare Iron keeps asking for access to confidential information in my keychain when accessing pages with login details[/quote]

This is completely normal when switching browsers. Each application needs to be granted access to items stored in the OS X keychain by other applications. This should be a one-time affair. However…



[quote]I've set the preference not to save any passwords and I do it all through 1Password now, having also selected the extension mode to operate incognito. [/quote]

Disabling web browsers' internal password management is what we recommend. This has the twofold benefit of avoiding confusion ("I swear I already saved that login!") and increasing security (Google "browser password security").



This way, when you switch to another browser in the future, you can use the same logins you have already saved in 1Password without any effort. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



[quote]Out of curiosity is there any kind of consensus at Agile on which browser is the most secure? [/quote]

I am always quoting Bruce Schneier in this regard: "[url="http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0005.html#1"]Security is a process, not a product.[/url]" At the moment, I think a secure browser is an actively developed browser. Safari, Firefox, and Chrome are probably the most actively developed browsers at the moment. They all have their pros and cons. I wouldn't say that any one is far and away more secure than the others. I think it comes down to personal preference.



There has been discussion regarding Chrome's automatic update mechanism, though, which seems to polarize people. I for one love it. As soon as an update is ready, Google pushes it out almost instantly whereas Firefox and Safari require a (very slight) manual interaction. I give Google the edge here, but again, it is very open to discussion. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



I am happy with Chrome myself at the moment. I look forward to evaluating the new version of Safari in Lion further as it uses WebKit2 which splits the processes for each tab like Chrome does. It is still a Developer Preview at the moment, so I am not going to consider it until a stable version is released. It may bring me back, though. Who knows?



Best regards,

ashleyk

I took exactly the same steps with Safari, but much like yourself found it just kept crashing and this wasn't a recent development either, since I can remember these problems way back before the current version 5. Also on the speed front I am seeing that Chrome is consistently faster. With some sites the difference is not that big but at other times Safari just hangs forever when loading, while Chrome just goes there immediately.



Previously I took all the logins from the 1Password and did a drag & drop to a folder inside the Safari bookmarks to create instant logins, which I kept on the Safari toolbar for easy access. Those same bookmarks are no longer working for me in Chrome because they will only take me to the right page but won't complete the login. Is there a way to make this work like in Safari?



Allowing 1Password to take complete control of the passwords does sound like the best overall solution for all the reasons you mentioned. No more confusion or conflicts and presumably a more secure way of working. Hopefully this thread will also be useful to other users of 1Password.

khad

[quote]With some sites the difference is not that big but at other times Safari just hangs forever when loading, while Chrome just goes there immediately. [/quote]

Chrome does seem to have The Snappy™ right now in ways that Safari does not. COmpetition is always good, and I look forward to seeing just how Apple, Mozilla, and Google push each other in this regard. Whatever happens will be a net win for us. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



[quote]Previously I took all the logins from the 1Password and did a drag & drop to a folder inside the Safari bookmarks to create instant logins, which I kept on the Safari toolbar for easy access. Those same bookmarks are no longer working for me in Chrome because they will only take me to the right page but won't complete the login. Is there a way to make this work like in Safari? [/quote]

Unfortunately, 1Password's [url="http://help.agilebits.com/1Password3/oneclick_bookmarks.html"]1Click Bookmarks[/url] cannot currently function in Chrome. I am not sure if this can ever be supported in Chrome, but please consider using Go & Fill from [i]within[/i] the extension in the mean time. Click on 1Password's icon in Chrome's toolbar and then press the Tab key on your keyboard (or click on the "All Logins" tab in the extension). Then select the login with your mouse or begin typing the first few letters of the login to quickly filter down the list to exactly the one you need. You can access "All Logins" directly by using the default keyboard shortcut of ⌥⌘\ which can also be customized in 1Password's preferences. For some additional details and keyboard shortcuts, take a look at our "[url="http://help.agilebits.com/1Password3/google_chrome_details.html"]Things to know about Google Chrome[/url]" page.



[quote]Hopefully this thread will also be useful to other users of 1Password.[/quote]

I am sure it will be! Thanks for creating it. I always love discussing these things. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



If you need anything else, please let me know.



Cheers!

barrettj

[quote name='khad' timestamp='1306722670' post='28081']

Unfortunately, 1Password's [url="http://help.agilebits.com/1Password3/oneclick_bookmarks.html"]1Click Bookmarks[/url] cannot currently function in Chrome.

[/quote]



Can you please update http://help.agilebits.com/1Password3/oneclick_bookmarks.html to make mention of that - that was a large reason why I purchased and it's very unfortunate to find out that it doesn't work in Chrome.

brenty

[quote name='barrettj' timestamp='1311185568' post='32442']

Can you please update [url="http://help.agilebits.com/1Password3/oneclick_bookmarks.html"]http://help.agilebit..._bookmarks.html[/url] to make mention of that - that was a large reason why I purchased and it's very unfortunate to find out that it doesn't work in Chrome.

[/quote]



Hey there, barrettj! Welcome to the forums! <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />



I don't see any mention there of Chrome, so I am not sure how we should update it. However, if you are having trouble with 1Password, just send us an email (support@agilebits.com) and we will do our best to get you taken care of. And if you are not satisfied with 1Password, we can certainly give you a refund.

htownhman

Agreed, this is a key reason I am trying the program also, and to find out the feature does not work in Chrome is very disappointing

[Deleted User]

Hello htownhman and welcome to the Forums!



I'm sorry you are disappointed. Please review Brent's post and let us know if you wish to contact us.



Cheers!



Brandt