To avoid that awkward situation, Blur generates what it calls a "Backup Passphrase." Mine consisted of 12 words, more than 80 characters. As long as you remember that one, Blur takes care of the rest.īy the same token, if you forget your master password, you lose all your saved passwords. Naturally you must protect your passwords and other private data with a strong, memorable master password. If you've saved more than one set of credentials, it offers a menu of available logins. As expected, it captures credentials when you log in and automatically fills saved credentials when you revisit the site. Clicking a link opens a chart of your tracker-blocking statistics over time.īlur includes a straightforward password manager. This panel also lets you turn off blocking for any specific tracker, or for an entire website. You can see exactly which ad aggregators, social media sites, and web analytics systems didn't get to track you, thanks to Blur. Clicking the button brings up the access panel for Blur services clicking Tracking in that panel displays full details. The company states that with the latest version Blur blocks more trackers than ever.įor each website you visit, the Blur toolbar button in the browser displays how many trackers it detected and blocked. Several general-purpose security products include a similar active Do Not Track function, among them AVG AntiVirus Free and Kaspersky Internet Security. Abine pioneered the idea of a Do Not Track system that actively prevents this kind of tracking. Your browser can send a Do Not Track header, but it's toothless. However, advertisers, social media sites, and web analytics groups all profit by tracking your activities online. Logically, your web surfing habits are nobody's business but your own. Fortunately, the notification includes a link that lets you see all devices connected to your account and remotely disconnect the problem session. If you aren't the one who logged in, that's a serious red flag. For more direct access to features and less drilling down, you can expand the dashboard to nine icons: Accounts, Masked Emails, Tracking, Masked Cards, Passwords, Masked Phones, Auto-fill Credit Cards, Auto-fill Addresses, and Auto-fill Identities.Įach time you log in to a new device, Blur sends a notification email with details. From the dashboard you can also send a link to install Blur on your iOS or Android devices. The dashboard lets you configure the same four function areas. Your private data is all stored locally and synced between devices over an encrypted connection.įor full access to the program's dashboard, simply click the word Blur at the bottom left of the popup panel. Clicking the toolbar button brings up a small panel that in turn offers access to four major function areas: Accounts, Wallet, Masking, and Tracking. It still doesn't support Microsoft Edge, but my company contacts tell me that Edge support is coming, due to Edge becoming Chromium-based. My Abine contact points out that Blur users have less data exposed, so they merit a discount.īlur installs in your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari) and puts a single, simple button on the toolbar. This service uses automatic processes and human agents to remove your personal data from online aggregator. You can also pay $14.99 per month for the same unlimited service, but that adds up to nearly twice the cost over time.Īs a Blur user, you qualify for a discount on Abine DeleteMe (129.00 20% Discount on any DeleteMe subscription with code PCMAG at DeleteMe). If you make more than 30 masked transactions per year, it's a good deal. New since my last review, the $99 Abine Blur Unlimited removes that fee. There's a $2 charge for each masked credit card, to cover Abine's transaction-handling costs. Once you try it, though, you'll almost certainly want the $39 per year Premium edition, which adds masked credit cards, masked phone numbers, and more. Over the years, Blur has perfected the process of communicating and shopping online without giving away personal information.īlur's free edition blocks web trackers, masks your email address, and manages passwords. Not without help from Abine Blur Premium, a privacy service designed to let you do all those things and more without giving away a jot of private data. So, when you order the latest smartphone or barbecue grill, how does the merchant know where to send it without your address? How do you pay, without revealing your credit card number? The answer is, you don't. You've been told again and again that you shouldn't reveal any personal information on the web. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.
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