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by: PaulWilcox
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Word Count: 470

They're actually more like the car than the key, I suppose. They are the tools we use to travel around the web, finding interesting destinations. The trouble is, sometimes an unwanted passenger climbs aboard along the way. In some cases they may even carjack you, taking you places you had no intention of going.

So, what to do?

There are quite a few things that you can do, the first being choosing an alternative browser. Microsoft Internet Explorer has the majority of the market, but there are others such as Firefox or Opera that can offer more security.

Even if they're not actually more secure, these other browsers are not as likely to be targeted simply because the people who attack them prefer to go where they'll get the biggest bang for the buck. Until laws change and software vendors get more serious about the security of their products, the best way to avoid being targeted is to lay low.

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 users are unaware of the extent to which using a browser opens up their system to the rest of the world. Being on the Internet means not just seeing, but being visible. And accessing sites usually means being accessible. It isn't just harmless cookies that can be downloaded to your system. Once executable programs are downloaded they often have free rein to your entire system.

Making the time to learn how to protect your computer will pay off in spades when you don't get hit with the next big virus or spyware problem.

About the Author

To learn more about how you can protect yourself from internet security threats, visit the Online Security Toolkit at http://www.onlinesecuritytoolkit.com, where you'll find helpful information about spam, spyware, viruses, identity theft and more.

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