Browser Safety and Security Settings

Web browsers, which allow you to view the content of web pages, are now amongst the most commonly-used computer applications. Most people use Internet Explorer (which comes preinstalled on Windows systems) or Firefox (which is available in Windows, Mac and Linux versions), but there are other alternatives including Opera and Chrome.

Browsers can leave you and your system open to danger. Most browsers allow you to run small downloadable applications, such as Java applets or ActiveX controls.

Unless you are very careful about what you allow, these can wreak havoc on your system by deletion or damaging files or by installing malware of some sort.

Your browser may allow you to visit sites which will automatically download malware, such as viruses or spyware. It may also allow you to visits sites with objectionable, or even illegal content, such as pirated software or video files, which may themselves be infected with malware.

Fortunately, browsers generally provide a range of security settings, which can alleviate or eliminate most major security problems. Over the next few pages we’ll look at how you can configure the security settings in Internet Explorer and Firefox.