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 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 when not inherently better, other browsers and operating systems are less popular targets. Until both legislators and software vendors get really serious about security, it's possible to reduce your 'target area' by staying out of the limelight.
Another important factor in improving browser security is to learn 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 instance, should you disable ActiveX controls or should you allow them to run but prompt you first? This is an example of something that will ultimately be up to you to decide. Disabling them is certainly more secure, but some websites may not work properly. And prompting you every time can get annoying fast if you regularly visit sites that use them.
This is the sort of trade-off that is a pain in the neck and hopefully won't be necessary one day. For now, however, you should do some reading to learn more about these settings and how they affect you. If your computer ever crashes because of some internet security attack, you'll wish you'd spent the time to learn it.
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.
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To get more information how to protect yourself from online 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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