Improve IE Security by Moving Cache, Cookies, and History to a RAMDISK

Question

Hello all,   This thread is not intended to encourage anyone to do what the title says; however, I just want to say that I did it and my PC is now more secure (my opinion).  The added security is realized because all IE cache, cookies, and history are completely wiped out each time the PC is powered down as opposed to setting in their respective folders on the operating system hard drive.  The downside to this configuration would be that the cache and cookies are not saved; thereby, (  tecnically) increasing the time it takes to load every webpage (for the first time) after powerup.  However, the increased page loading time is barely noticable on my PC because I have a very fast internet connection.   There are also several programs available to do the same thing (such as IE Privacy Keeper) and they work very well (my opinion) and they also give you the option to save individual cookies and other IE data which I do not need.   This should only be attempted by advanced users because there are several IE registry entries that must be overwritten in addition to creating the RAMDISK properly.     NJGroundHog

NemesisDB · Answer

i think using tor would be a better first step ... in terms of actually accomplishing something.  what exactly are you trying to protect against with the ramdisk?  at that point someone already has a reason to grab your computer

NJGroundHog · Answer

to answer your questions:

i don't know what tor is but i'll look into it

just trying to add another layer of protection (maybe "privacy" is a better word than security)

at "what" point would someone have a reason to grab my pc and why?

Message Edited by NJGroundHog on 01-26-2008 06:13 PM

NJGroundHog · Answer

i looked into tor and i don't need it but i can see where it would benefit the completely paranoid. Message Edited by NJGroundHog on 01-26-2008 06:11 PM

NJGroundHog · Answer

I guess I don't understand why you're using the ramdisk? (i'm lazy and forgetful)

It's fairly easy to just delete everything each session if that's your only concern. (agreed)

(note: i no longer use/require ie privacy keeper)

about the only benefit I see to the ramdisk is that the delete ops are slightly faster (and that it can never be recovered by someone else, as deleted files can be from your HD). ( strongly agree)

there are also additional benefits that are somewhat trivial; however, they are still benefits:

faster browsing (not noticable to the human eye) after initial page loads (nanoseconds for ramdisk read access vs. milliseconds read access to hard drive on 2nd attempt page loads that are unchanged)
less hard drive activity during subsequent browsing (loading from ramdisk instead of HD)
quieter pc due to decresed HD activity

all small and barely noticable but ....

Message Edited by NJGroundHog on 01-26-2008 07:00 PM

NemesisDB · Answer

>at 'what' point would someone have a reason to grab my pc and why?   I guess I don't understand why you're using the ramdisk?  It's fairly easy to just delete everything each session if that's your only concern.  About the only benefit I see to the ramdisk is that the delete ops are slightly faster (and that it can never be recovered by someone else, as deleted files can be from your HD).

NJGroundHog · Answer

Hello NemisisDB,   Many people are happy just to have a pc that meets their needs without any problems.  I'm all for that too; however, when I get bored; I tweak and this thread was conceived during one my 'post-tweak boredom relapses.'  Thanks for your interest and responses.   Best regards,   NJGroundHog

NemesisDB · Answer

those seem like valid ideas ...  just wasn't sure of the benefits after reading the first post.    I think the fact that cleared ram cannot be recovered while deleted HD files can is only of marginal benefit though -- someone would need physical access to your machine to make such a recovery.  Seems like it would be equally easy just to watch your network traffic (which is what TOR helps avoid).  Note though that TOR is incredibly slow and subject to abuse (the exit node can redirect you to a fraudulent site), so it's not perfect either.   It's still kind of a cool setup.  I haven't used a ramdisk in ages   :D

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Improve IE Security by Moving Cache, Cookies, and History to a RAMDISK

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