Web Safety Tips from Personal Tech PC Corp.
(www.personaltechpc.com/websafety)
PLEASE NOTE: Products represented below have been listed based solely on personal use, personal preference, and industry and community reparts and ratings. Your needs and preferences may differ. Products listed only represent a few examples of Internet-related software currently available to the public. Carefully evaluate all products before installation or making a purchase. As with all software, you must either know what you are downloading and installing and why before doing so or seek the advise of an experienced computer software technician.
Internet Browsers:
1. FREE - (Recommended) Mozilla Firefox version 3 (add McAfee SiteAdvisor & Browser Defender. See their links below.)
Download Page: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
FREE - Recommended Mozilla Firefox Extensions for Internet Surfing Protection Assistance
FREE - IE Tab
Download Page: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419
FREE - McAfee SiteAdvisor
Download Page: http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/ff_preinstall.html
FREE - PCTools Browser Defender
Download Page: http://www.browserdefender.com/download/index/version/ff/
FREE - WOT - Web of Trust
Download Page: http://www.mywot.com/en/download/ff
FREE - Ad Block Plus
Download Page: http://adblockplus.org/en/installation
2. FREE - Internet Explorer version 8 (add McAfee SiteAdvisor, Browser Defender, and /or WOT. See their links below.)
Download Page: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/ie/getitnow.mspx
FREE - Recommended Add-ons for Internet Surfing Protection Assistance
FREE -
McAfee SiteAdvisor
Download Page: http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/ie.html
FREE -
PCTools Browser Defender
Download Page: http://www.browserdefender.com/download/index/version/ie/
FREE - WOT Web of Trust
Download Page: http://www.browserdefender.com/download/index/version/ie/
Email
1. FREE – Mozilla Thunderbird version 2
Download Page: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/
FREE - Mozilla Thunderbird Extensions for Spam Protection Assistance
Spamato4Thunderbird Download Page: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/2738
Sender Verification Extension Download Page: http://www.mywot.com/en/download/ie
Internet Filtering / Parental Control
1. FEEE - OpenDNS
Registration Page: http://www.opendns.com
2. FREE - K9
Web Protection
License Page REQUIRED: http://www1.k9webprotection.com/getk9/index.php
Download Link for XP: http://www.k9webprotection.com/download/k9-webprotection.exe
Download Link for
Anti-Spyware Protection Assistance
1. FREE - ThreatFire - 24/7 Malicious Behaviour Scanner and Monitor
Download Page: http://www.threatfire.com
2. FREE -
SUPERAntispyware - Anti-Malware Scanner (Purchase for 24/7 Monitoring)
Download Page: http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html
3. FREE -
Malwarebytes' Anti-malware - Anti-Malware Scanner (Purchase for 24/7 Monitoring)
Download Page: http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
Anti-Virus Protection Assistance
Computer
Security Suite with Identity Protection Assistance
1. PURCHASE - McAfee Internet Security Suite
Download Page: http://us.mcafee.com/root/package.asp?pkgid=272
2. PURCHASE - McAfee Total Protection
Download Page: http://us.mcafee.com/root/package.asp?pkgid=274
Wireless
Router Security Setting
WORSE OPTION: WEP (DO
NOT USE! WEP ENCRYPTION HAS ALREADY BEEN BROKEN! UPGRADE YOUR WIRELESS DEVICE!)
Best Option 1: WPA2 Personal with AES
Best Option 2: WPA2 Personal with TKIP
Best Option 3: WPA Personal with AES
Best Option 4: WPA
Personal with TKIP
Windows Updates - KEEP WINDOWS UPDATED
Vista (All versions) & Windows 7 RC
From the Vista Desktop, do the following:
Click START.
Click ALL PROGRAMS.
Click WINDOWS UPDATES.
In the laeft pane, click CHECK FOR UPDATES.
XP (All versions)
Open Internet Explorer (NOT FIREFOX, SAFARI, or OPERA)
Windows Updates Link: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Click CUSTOM
Install ALL UPDATES
Recommended
Internet Explorer Settings
Known safe web surfing habits
* - For some bank, school, and insurance web sites, use the “Third-party Cookies” setting “PROMPT” the first time you access the site. Once it works, change the setting back to “Block”
Unknown surfing habits
NEVER CHANGE THIS!*
* - For some bank, school, and insurance web sites, use the “Third-party Cookies” setting “PROMPT” the first time you access the site. Once it works, change the setting back to “Block”