Every time I log out of my web based Email at work a page size banner reminds me to exit my browser for “security reasons”.
Why???
I try hitting the back button and it doesn’t go back into my GMail. I get a gmail sign in page. Safe and secure, as it should be.
If I was really paranoid then I could close the Tab. Still seems like a waste of time.
Whats kind of magical voodoo would a hacker need to get into my email if I didn’t close my browser? Whats this serious vulnerability that requires me to close my browser?
Some browsers don’t clear the cookies when the tab is closed. Someone in a public place can reopen the tab (or just go to the website) and have access/to the mail.
It makes it a tiny bit harder for an unauthorized person to read your session cookies, history, and cache.
Gmail is designed to lock you out after you sign out, but not all email services do that (the old pages may still be cached and viewable). It’s a good practice to get into, I suppose, even if it’s not really all that helpful against a determined attacker. At least it’s one more layer of protection against casual snoopers.