Safe Internet Browsing Habits

We have found that when we say “practice safe browsing habits” many people have no idea what we are talking about. This is an unfortunate truth in our world, and we hope that by writing this post that we can educate some of you on how to stay safe on the Internet, so that more people will know and practice safe browsing habits.

1. Use a modern Web browser to navigate the internet. If you have Internet Explorer 6.0 UPDATE it now.
   
   
2. Always check the address bar at the top of the screen to ensure you’re at the official website, and not a carbon copy of the website you think you’re at, hosted at a different address.
   
   
3. Always look for the little yellow padlock and the letters “https” rather than “http” when signing into an online account or making online purchases. This means that information you provide, such as your name, address, and credit card information, is being encrypted on it’s way to the web server that hosts the website you’re buying from. This is important because this information crosses many public devices before reaching its destination, and a man in the middle can access this data if it’s not encrypted.
   
   
4. Avoid shady sites which promise offers too good to be true such as: free electronics, free software that you normally have to pay for, pirated software, nude celebrities, and the list goes on.
   
   
5. Use a LinkScanner, which scans each page you visit before allowing you to visit it, preventing drive by downloads or malware installation scripts from infecting your computer.
   
   
6. Install Anti-Virus software and keep it up-to-date. We suggest our indigoGUARD service, but there are other providers out there as well. It’s up to you to get the lowdown on each and make an informed decision as to which product to use.
   
   
7. Anti-Virus software is not a get out of jail free card to do whatever you like on the Internet and not get a virus. If you do not practice the safe browsing habits listed here, along with some good ole’ fashion common sense, in conjunction with your AV software, then you may do something which circumvents your AV software’s protection (such as downloading and installing a virus yourself). Also, considering how Anti-Virus signatures work, you may not always be protected from all the latest threats as they occur (that’s referred to as a zero day vulnerability), but if you’re practicing safe browsing habits, you may avoid a threat that even your AV software couldn’t have protected you from.

If you have any question about these points or other computer related issues please contact us.