BROWSERS Browsing more Safely

What is a Browser? A browser is a program we use to access the internet. Examples we commonly use include: Mozilla Firefox; Google Chrome Internet Explorer; and Microsoft Edge. The choice is yours! (We recommend Firefox)

BE VERY CAREFUL!

Why? The Internet is fertile ground for both Scams and Malicious Software. Before you venture forth you need: TO BE CONSTANTLY AWARE. Have a good, up to date, real time anti-virus program. We continue to suggest Windows Defender which comes with your Operating System. Have a good, up to date, real time anti-malware system. We continue to suggest Malwarebytes.

Why? (cont.) On the Internet, the bad guys go where the good guys hang out. Be particularly careful on Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. These are prime target areas. Celebrity Sites – or sites about celebrities – are always popular. BUT THE DANGERS COULD BE ANYWARE!

Some Basic Precautions . . . Whenever you visit a web site you’ll see something like this: http (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) – refers to a computer language that manages your interaction with web sites. https – the “s” indicates that this is a secure site.

Some Basic Precautions (cont.) Be aware that only some pages of a web site may be ‘Secure’. Be aware also that some web sites have links that take you to a completely different site. It is suggested that personal/sensitive information only be entered if you see https & you are in the site you intended. Remember that ‘Secure’ is a relative term – always be careful.

Searching In this illustration, a search was made for ‘download malwarebytes’. We see multiple possibilities. Everything you see has been written by the organization behind the site EXCEPT: . . the GREEN site address – this give us a clue. All of these examples may be valid BUT: . . It’s best to choose the one that belongs to the parent company you’re looking for.

I KNOW WHERE I WANT TO GO (More or Less) BUT HOW DO I GET THERE?

Four Ways . . . Your own ‘Home Page’. Favourites/Bookmarks. Directly to a known address. Searching/Browsing.

‘Home Page’ The Home Page is the web site that you have chosen for your Browser to go to automatically every time it is started. When a Browser is installed, a Home Page chosen by the manufacturer will be the default. You can change the Home Page to your choice at any time, and as often as you want.

Choosing/Changing Your Home Page (Firefox) Browse until you see the screen you want to use as your Home Page. On the Toolbar click Tools – Options. You will see: Click as shown.

Favourites / Bookmarks Are the same thing – different names in different Browsers. Shortcuts to frequently-visited web sites. It is preferable to display the shortcuts to those sites you visit most frequently on a toolbar. (Not usually visible on install). If too many sites, they may be displayed in a list format.

Tips for Searching Don’t enter just a single word in your search. Enter several ‘keywords’. Narrow your search. There’s no need to enter the introductory “stuff” – i.e. http://www., etc. Don’t use ‘noise’ words like ‘and’, ‘the’, ‘or’, ‘by’. Use double inverted commas for precise searches.

Tips for Searching (cont.) Be very careful when choosing which sites to visit – e.g. go to a manufacturer’s home site rather than to a third party’s. Don’t let your internet screen get too cluttered – close unwanted tabs. Use the ‘Bookmarks Toolbar’ (Firefox) for speed and efficiency.

What is a ‘Search Engine’? A ‘Search Engine’ is a program that uses words that you have entered, treats them as references & looks for Web Sites that relate to those words. Google is probably the best known Engine. There are many Search Engines available that can be downloaded. Choose the one you prefer.

Default Search Engines The default for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is Bing. The default for Google Chrome is (of course) Google. The default for Mozilla Firefox is also Google.