CIRA Canadian Shield adds new browser extension to simplify online safety for Canadians

OTTAWA, June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CIRA is proud to announce the launch of its highly requested desktop browser extension for CIRA Canadian Shield that makes it easier than ever for Canadians to protect themselves against growing online threats. This free-to-use browser extension?available on popular browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox?will help protect more Canadian internet users from harmful malware, phishing attempts, scams and other malicious actors.

Searching the web can turn into risky business for many individuals and families across the country, especially when bumping into the wrong site becomes a security trap and infects a laptop or an entire network. As 54 per cent of Canadians say they spend more than five hours online per day, doing it safely at home or on the road is still a major concern in most households.

With nearly 4 million Canadians using CIRA Canadian Shield, this browser extension will help non-technical users enjoy the benefits of enhanced privacy and increased security while browsing online with this free service. Backed by the same enterprise-level technology that powers CIRA DNS Firewall, CIRA Canadian Shield is a critical layer of protection for individual Canadians and their families.

Last year, CIRA Canadian Shield blocked more than 36 million requests to malicious domains, effectively protecting its users from incidents, including botnets, phishing and ransomware threats. Since it was made the default DNS over HTTPS provider for Firefox users in Canada last summer, CIRA has become the first organization to provide country-specific encrypted DNS services with Mozilla.

"This browser extension continues CIRA's momentum of building a safer internet for Canadians by making it simple and easy for anyone, no matter their level of knowledge, to protect themselves online. We keep users' data private and enhance online security ," says Tanya O'Callaghan, Vice President, Community Investment, Policy and Advocacy at CIRA.

Once installed, the add-on is designed to protect in-browser internet traffic by preventing devices from accessing malicious sites, therefore, protecting online privacy and security. The extension is a great complement to the CIRA Canadian Shield mobile apps available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Key elements

• Uses real-time security technology to protect devices
• Notify users of malicious links in Gmail
• Protects from visiting malicious sites and allows the user to safely search the web
• Available for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox with other browsers coming soon

About CIRA
CIRA (The Canadian Internet Registration Authority) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. CIRA also develops technologies and services?such as CIRA DNS Firewall and CIRA Canadian Shield?that help support its goal of building a trusted internet for Canadians. The CIRA team operates one of the fastest-growing country code top-level domains (ccTLD), a high-performance global DNS network, and one of the world's most advanced back-end registry solutions.

About CIRA Canadian Shield
CIRA Canadian Shield is a free cybersecurity service that improves privacy and blocks botnets, phishing, ransomware, and other malware as one of the many ways we build a trusted Canadian internet through our Community Investment Program. CIRA has partnered with the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security to integrate its Canadian threat feed into Canadian Shield.

CIRA Canadian Shield is built by Canadians, exclusively for Canadians, and was recently named the default DNS over HTTPS resolver for Mozilla Firefox users in Canada. In 2021, CIRA announced its partnership with ScamAdviser, a global leader in anti-scam technology, to integrate protection against fraudulent websites into CIRA Canadian Shield. This added layer of protection will safeguard Canadians' families against online scams and fraudulent websites.

Media Contacts
Shehnila Sayeed
Communications Specialist, CIRA
613.805.3146
[email protected]