Web browsing software is a wonderful thing.
It takes all the HTML, scripts and other computer lingo online and translates it into the websites that you wind up surfing onto and losing track of work...
and annoying your boss.
Unfortunately your web browser can provide an open door to your computer to people who want to cause you misery in the form of Spyware, viruses and identity theft.
The first thing you can do to fight back is choosing a good browser.
Internet Explorer is still the leader of the pack but Firefox has been slowly nibbling away at its lead and they're now pretty much neck and neck in the race.
Microsofts idea of making the browser part of the operating system backfired a little bit when online threats used vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer to riddle unprotected systems with viruses.
So more people are choosing Firefox because it's less of a target and is more secure overall - it doesn't require almost daily security updates to keep it secure.
One huge step in making sure your browsers stay secure is education - knowing what users should and shouldn't click on.
Making people aware that ActiveX controls can be harmful and that not every security alert they see is genuine.
If you're in doubt about the source of a link or alert then don't go clicking on any links or installing any plug-ins.
One single click is enough to install multiple viruses that will mean having your system wiped - I have to do this for friends on an almost weekly basis.
Luckily enough web browsers (even Internet Explorer) are becoming far more clever.
How? They're able to spot and stop pop-ups and Spyware trying to infect your computer from "Attack Sites".
This isn't a reason for stupidly browsing onto sites you know aren't secure but it gives you an additional layer of security on your system that will alert you to the most common problems you could encounter.
Free toolbars are one of the quickest ways for your system to become infected with viruses and other nasty stuff like that.
These toolbars are usually provided as free security software or as part of the installation of another piece of software you downloaded.
If you're not sure about the source of the toolbar don't install it.
Simple as that.
So just remember that your web browser is a two-way door.
It allows you to look out onto the wonderful world of the Internet but the door can swing back towards you and give an uninvited guest a quick and easy way to access personal information on your computer.
If in doubt don't download - easy really isn't it?
It takes all the HTML, scripts and other computer lingo online and translates it into the websites that you wind up surfing onto and losing track of work...
and annoying your boss.
Unfortunately your web browser can provide an open door to your computer to people who want to cause you misery in the form of Spyware, viruses and identity theft.
The first thing you can do to fight back is choosing a good browser.
Internet Explorer is still the leader of the pack but Firefox has been slowly nibbling away at its lead and they're now pretty much neck and neck in the race.
Microsofts idea of making the browser part of the operating system backfired a little bit when online threats used vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer to riddle unprotected systems with viruses.
So more people are choosing Firefox because it's less of a target and is more secure overall - it doesn't require almost daily security updates to keep it secure.
One huge step in making sure your browsers stay secure is education - knowing what users should and shouldn't click on.
Making people aware that ActiveX controls can be harmful and that not every security alert they see is genuine.
If you're in doubt about the source of a link or alert then don't go clicking on any links or installing any plug-ins.
One single click is enough to install multiple viruses that will mean having your system wiped - I have to do this for friends on an almost weekly basis.
Luckily enough web browsers (even Internet Explorer) are becoming far more clever.
How? They're able to spot and stop pop-ups and Spyware trying to infect your computer from "Attack Sites".
This isn't a reason for stupidly browsing onto sites you know aren't secure but it gives you an additional layer of security on your system that will alert you to the most common problems you could encounter.
Free toolbars are one of the quickest ways for your system to become infected with viruses and other nasty stuff like that.
These toolbars are usually provided as free security software or as part of the installation of another piece of software you downloaded.
If you're not sure about the source of the toolbar don't install it.
Simple as that.
So just remember that your web browser is a two-way door.
It allows you to look out onto the wonderful world of the Internet but the door can swing back towards you and give an uninvited guest a quick and easy way to access personal information on your computer.
If in doubt don't download - easy really isn't it?