CNET Editors' review
Online privacy and security are two sides of the same coin. Cocoon is a free browser add-on and Web-based security solution that lets you surf securely and anonymously, even from public Wi-Fi access points. It insulates your computer from cookies, viruses, and prying eyes. The ad-supported version is free, but you have to register online to use it. We tried Cocoon for Firefox.
After installing Cocoon and restarting Firefox, you'll need to create an account, but it's fairly painless. You can sign in to your Cocoon account from any computer or location, provided your browser has the Cocoon software, but you can only log on to your account from one computer at a time. You can create multiple Cocoon accounts; one for each email account, for instance, or family members. We pressed the Power On button on Cocoon's toolbar and logged in to our account. Cocoon uses the time-tested method of routing traffic through proxy servers to hide users' addresses, and it takes a moment or two for Cocoon to find and log on to a server. As soon as we were logged on, Cocoon's home page opened, and the program activated the Settings, History, Mailslot, and other features on the Cocoon toolbar. Cocoon's home page offers a lot of help for new users, including a series of video tutorials. But you don't have to do anything to use Cocoon; just start browsing. We typed some searches into the Cocoon Search field, which searches securely via Google, though we could change it to Bing or Yahoo via Cocoon's online settings page. Next we clicked through some of our bookmarks. There's no doubt Cocoon slows down your browsing a bit, but we've never tried a proxy setup that didn't. Cocoon's slowdown is negligible, though, and certainly not enough to forgo its protection, especially when you go online from a public access point.
One interesting item in Cocoon's settings is a check box to prevent Facebook tracking. We could delete cookies, manage filled form data, and view and manage our browsing history. The Mailslot tool creates secure accounts. We think mobile users will especially like Cocoon for Firefox.
Publisher's Description
From Virtual World Computing:
Cocoon is an all-in-one plugin that makes everything you do online private, secure and virus-free. Without Cocoon, websites have access to your computer to leave cookies or infect it with viruses and malware. Cocoon even makes open WiFi access points secure. Features: Truly anonymous browsing; Anti-virus protection; Cookies stored off your computer; Secure connection on public wifi; Privacy on shared computers; Encrypted browsing history; Anonymous email creation; Blocks drive-by malware attacks; History access on multiple devices; Secure webmail access. Free account must be created and activated at the getcocoon.com/signup to use the Cocoon service.
What's new in this version: Version 1.17b adds support for Firefox 10.
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All versions:
3.1 starsout of 16 votes
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Current version:
2.0 starsout of 4 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-4 of 4
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"works perfectly"
Version: Cocoon for Firefox 1.17b
Pros
- easy to download & install
- slightly slower than no proxy at all but much, much faster than any other proxy solution I've ever tried before
- fairly intuitive interface; you don't need to understand how it works to make it workCons
- mailslots messages can be slow to load/a tiny bit buggy
- only works with firefox and ie. who uses ie? and why not have a version for safari or chrome?Summary
I have no idea what is going on with the other two reviewers. I wonder if they've got browser issues that are interfering? Also, I am using the paid and not the free version. Frankly, this level of security is worth five bucks a month, and I want to pay to support people who are developing and implementing tools like cocoon. Also I hate ads. Anyway, get Cocoon, it's worth it. And just pay the darn five bucks a month and realize your peace of mind is worth way, way more than that.
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"didn't work-had to reload page alot"
Version: Cocoon for Firefox 1.17b
Pros
none, have nothing good to say
Cons
couldn't get it to load--couldn't get password resent--finally uninstalled
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"It simply doesn't work."
Version: Cocoon for Firefox 1.17b
Pros
None. Most times of asking it won't work.
Cons
Hardly ever actually logs in and when it does it slows everything so much it is unusable.
Summary
Don't bother.
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"It kept causing Firefox 11.0 to crash"
Version: Cocoon for Firefox 1.17b
Pros
nothing for the pros
Cons
lock ups crashes who needs it? just use private browsing!!!
Summary
Forget it look elsewhere.
Results 1-4 of 4
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