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Your web browser is your means of getting around the Internet. From checking your webmail to booking your holiday online the web browser does it all. Without it accessing and viewing the Internet would be almost impossible. Unless of course you're like Neo from the Matrix and can just "read" the Internet in its raw format. Not likely right? Web browsers do, however, have problems. These problems come from the fact that web browsers have security "holes" in them. These "holes" can lead to uninvited programs (spyware, viruses etc) being able to get direct access to your computer and any files on it. Being online is a two way process. You have to send data from your computer (in the form of something called packets) and receive data from the Internet to be able to view websites. This is where the risk is - all types of data can be sent to your computer. So what's the first step you need to take? 95% of viruses and spyware are designed to attack IBM PC clone computers (your standard PC). Of that 90% almost 100% of the spyware and viruses that infect a PC will target Microsoft Internet Explorer. Why? Because certain components of it are tied almost directly to the Windows Operating System. If you want to start protecting yourself from this type of problem you can take the first step and look at another web browser. Mozilla Firefox for example has become really, really popular amongst all types of computer users everywhere. It was built with security in mind and doesn't suffer from the same "weaknesses" as Internet Explorer can and does have to deal with. Basically using less popular browsers and operating systems (Firefox running on Linux for example) will dramatically reduce the threat to your computer. That doesn't mean that you're 100% safe and don't need to use both anti-virus and firewall software. Far from it. Any computer user not running anti-virus and firewall software is painting a very big target on their computer and just asking for somebody to attack it. The problem with Internet security is that most people simply don't understand it or how important it is. If you look at most technical support teams that you ring with technical problems they're interested in fixing the problem and getting you off the phone. They rarely educate you on the problem and explain how to prevent it in future. Every single computer user should have a basic knowledge of the different options within Internet Explorer (or whatever their web browser is) and what the security implications of each setting are. Knowledge is key in keeping your computer, personal files and financial information safe from roaming bands of cyber-criminals. You don't have to be a super nerd or techno geek to learn about this stuff. It's much better that you spend a little bit of time educating yourself now instead of losing thousands of dollars or losing information (photographs for example) that you simply can't ever replace. Last but not least use common sense. If you get pop-ups or e-mails announcing you've just won the lottery then chances are that you haven't. One single click on those links you know nothing about is enough to dump viruses and spyware onto your computer. It's always much easier to prevent these types of computer infections than it ever is to clean them. Are you worried sick about your computer security? You should be! Identify theft crime rates are soaring! Don't become a victim - pick up some valuable tips and ideas @ www.CPUSecurity.comHREF="http://www.homeofficebuddy.com>HomeOfficeBuddy.com for help in making your choices.
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