I know two factor authentication is considered more secure than just passwords, but here’s the deal: One of my family members uses Linux Mint on their laptop (at my recommendation and yes, they are aware that it’s not a Mac), and while they’ve mostly adapted to the different workflows (coming from a macbook), one of their biggest pain points is that web sites are constantly challenging them because they don’t recognize their machine. It’s frustrating to them because they used to just allow all cookies in Safari, whereas I’ve configured Firefox on their Linux laptop not to keep any cookies after the browser is closed. I know this isn’t a Linux/Firefox issue, but I think they might not see it that way and I worry they’ll get frustrated to the point that they’ll go out and splurge on a new macbook air when they already have a perfectly functional laptop with functional OS.

I’m looking for some way to walk that line between security and convenience—I know they tend to be opposite forces, but my question for the audience is, is there some happy medium where I can configure Firefox so that it’s less frustrating for my family member to use without sacrificing everything in terms of security?

Right now I’m thinking I’ll need to add a bunch of web sites as exceptions in Firefox settings so at least their most frequently used web sites are easier to log into. Or maybe I’ll just allow cookies indefinitely, although I’d rather not. Is there another way to walk that line between convenience and security that I’m not thinking of? Should I just remove my tin foil hat and allow all cookies indefinitely?

Thanks in advance for your advice.