Are Web Browsers The Key To Internet Security?
Less like the key, really, than a car - browsers provide the means for traveling around the Internet to interesting destinations. Unfortunately, sometimes uninvited passengers climb in. On rare occasions, they even ‘carjack’ you.
So, what can you do to stop them?
Users have options, starting with browser selection. Internet Explorer still has over 90% of the ‘market’ (an odd term for free software), but it’s popularity is waning slightly. Firefox and others have inherently better security and the added advantage of running on Linux.
And this isn’t necessarily just because they’re more secure (although they usually are). Because fewer people use them, they’re just not as big a target for the people who create these security issues. Using a less widely used browser can help keep you under the radar.
Another key to improving your browser security is learning more about it.
There are a large number of options in both Internet Explorer and most other browsers that control what is and isn’t allowed. Most users have little or no knowledge of how these setting affect them.
For example, is it desirable to ‘Allow ActiveX controls and plug-ins’ to Run, or should that be set to Prompt? Individual judgments here, as in all aspects of security in life, have to be made. One factor is your tolerance for responding to prompts versus your willingness to risk infection. After all, you have to decide whom to let in your car, don’t you?
It’s an undesirable trade-off to be faced with, and one which we can hope someday won’t be necessary. But in the interim, it isn’t necessary to be a computer geek to experiment and read a bit to find out what these settings affect. The first time you’re infected and lose a day recovering, you’ll wish you’d spent the two hours finding out.
Proper use of your browser is another key component of security. Do you actually read those warning messages that come up once in a while or do you just click OK and move along? Unless you really know you can trust a website, it’s always better to err on the side of caution.
Most internet users don’t have any idea just how much information about them is shared when they visit a website. There are many things, such as your location, the browser you use and what operating system your computer is running that are sent to a website when you visit. This is just how the internet works, and it means you need to be careful that you’re well protected.
Take some time to learn how to lock your system down, even beyond just the browser, to make sure that you won’t be hit by some kind of attack.
Tags: computer accessories, hardware, pc