Protect Yourself Online - Internet Safety Tips

You can protect your PC while you browse the internet by installing and using third-party internet browsers and a few useful plug-ins. We recommend you use of the latest version of FireFox with the NoScript add-on combined with Sandboxie

NoScript disables all active/java scripting on the page allowing you to view pages more quickly due to embedded videos (flash, shockwave, QuickTime, etc) and advertisements being blocked. The user is given the authority to enable scripting from domains independently of one another. For example, a user may visit ZDnet.com and find that 12 different domains are actively running scripts on the page and the only content that is relevant are the two or three domains that pertain specifically to ZDnet.com. The user, then, enables key domains to run scripts and the desired content is displayed. Most of the exploits offered through web-pages use active content. NoScript protects you from having all active content from a website blocked by default. NoScript is not available for Internet Explorer.

Sandboxie creates a sand-boxed environment for any executable chosen by the user. Most often this application is used to create an encapsulated shell for web browsing, downloading unsafe files, opening crack files for software piracy, opening untrusted video/audio files, opening untrusted office documents and PDFs, and maintaining a “clean cookie” profile on one’s home system.

A program running in the sandbox, like any program, to have read access to things it would normally be able to read on the windows operating system, BUT no permanent changes are made to the actual system. This is most useful for visiting hacker sites, security sites, or the sites of foreign nationals.

Sandboxie includes the option to clear out your sandboxes. Combine this feature with web-browsing and you can be sure that no one will ever see your cookies, history, or index.dat files that keep a track record of where you have been and when.

Sandboxie allows the user to create multiple sandboxes. Run two web-browsers out of two different sandboxes so that you can have two sets of cookies, or run email out of one sandbox and other office applications from out of another.

Do not use personal information in your passwords such as your name, address, phone number, etc. -- these elements of information are too easy to guess. Combine lower case and capital letters along with numbers and special characters in your passwords. Avoid common phrases or words. For the highest level of password protection, do not use any words that are in the dictionary.

Do not write down your passwords - instead memorize your passwords. Do not allow Windows or your Internet Browser to store and save your passwords -- this leaves you vulnerable to anyone that gets their hands on your computer. IF you must save your passwords, make sure you use an encrypted password vault. Lastly, try to change your passwords regularly, and don't use the exact same username/password combination for every single online account.

Current recommendations are using Comodo or Outpost security Suite for antivirus, spyware, firewall, and host based intrusion detection and prevention. The downside to using these products are the volume of alerts directed at the user for acknowledgement or negation as it pertains to processes and programs that are seeking to utilize system resources, such as, outbound network connection or utilizing internal system files.

From my personal use of these two softwares, Comodo’s user community integration seems to do a better job of automating its learning of what is good and what is potentially negative. The biggest benefit of these two products is keeping programs (known & unknowns) from talking out to the internet when you haven’t given them your blessing. These products offer you a high measure of protection. However, you may get infected while using these softwares via some user-initiated action, however, there is less of a chance that something will be able to phone-home without you knowing.

Utilize Windows XP’s lesser known features. Windows XP features two free add-ins that enable the operating system to be far less vulnerable to attacks and exploits even when a user initiates a not-so-smart action. One is called “Windows Steady State” and the other is called “Drop My Rights”.

If you have a wireless internet connection in your home, you should check out our section on how to secure your wireless network for detailed instructions and advice on data encryption and wireless router security.