gracie's security pages basic security programs basic e-mail safety securing your computer gracie's zone alarm pages moonlake cybersmiths e-mail gracie |
it's a jungle out there <g> but who'd want to give up everything great the web has to offer? so learn to surf more safely; start by considering these suggestions: * don't download or run programs of unknown or 'iffy' origin: never run a program unless you know it to be authored by a person or company that you trust. don't send or open programs to/from your friends or coworkers simply because they are amusing; those cute or sexy .exe holiday animations or screensavers all can be trojans. * disconnect from the internet and from the network when not in use: an intruder cannot attack your computer if it is completely disconnected from the outside world. * set java, javascript, and activex to prompt you for permission in your browser: be stingy which sites you give permission to. a malicious web developer may attach a script to something on a web site which is transferred to your browser. you can set your browser to prompt you when it encounters these in it's tools, preferences, or options sections (in IE, it's tools, internet options, security, internet zone.) just disabling these is even safer, but will limit the interactivity and functionality of many innocent web sites (for instance, no pop-up windows, sometimes a good thing, sometimes not). use your judgement; i allow these on sites i trust and where it's clearly important, but generally just say no. here's some detailed instructions for disabling browser scripting languages; you can follow these directions and just set it to prompt instead of disable. * don't eat cookies unless you have to: no, this isn't a comment on your diet. cookies are little files website place on your computer that allows them to track you. some sites (like your banking site, ticket agent, password protected sites) may require you to accept cookies; most don't. set your browser to prompt you for permission to accept cookies, and most of the time, say no. a program like cookie crusher will let you automate this process a great deal and is worth a try. * watch where you go: just understand that the dodgier the site (porn, pirated software/cracks, etc.) the more likely there will be malicious code waiting for you, or at the least, annoying scripting. if you want to go to such sites, put them in your restricted zone in your browser, and set the security settings for that zone to allow nothing. * watch what you share: filling out forms with a lot of personal information should be avoided as far as possible. open some non-primary free e-mail accounts on sites like yahoo so you have a working e-mail address to give out to sites that demand one without exposing your main address to spam (unsolicited junk e-mail). * advanced techniques: consider using a hosts file to block servers (like doubleclick's ad servers) that you don't want to have access; gorilla's site has good hosts file info. also, you might consider using a proxy to hide your ip address and perform other functions; web washer and proxomitron are two excellent ones. |
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"thanx to the gang on the grc newsgroups for education, help, and fun." |
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