Is Firefox Safe?
Firefox is considered to be the safest of all the major browsers. One of the main reasons Firefox has remained safe is its relatively short market history. Internet Explorer was one of the first browsers to enter the market. It was also the first choice of hackers. Identity thieves, spammers and hackers have all sharpened their skills with Internet Explorer and have now turned their attention to Firefox. This has forced Mozilla to constantly plug security holes in their browser. In addition, Firefox has increased it's ability to save your personal web history. If the browser is hacked, all this data becomes available to identity thieves. This article will show you how to protect your data and make Firefox safe.
Top 3 Ways To Make Firefox Safe
1. Plug Holes with Security Add-Ons.
What's the first step to make Firefox safe? The answer is add-ons. Mozilla.org has ton's of free add-ons to make Firefox safe, fast and more appealing. By simply downloading small additional features and taking the proper precautions, you can easily make Firefox safe. However, leaving Firefox unmodified doesn't make it any safer than Internet Explorer which is notorious for security holes. Modifying Firefox with specific add-ons can provide you with an excellent security barrier.
The trouble is most websites are using Java Script to display banners, videos and other "click-able" elements. Net security advisers recommend that you avoid clicking on anything on questionable sites. However, this is a difficult task when you are quickly browsing through numerous pages. Clicking on the wrong link can cause a scripting attack, browsers hijacks, and malware to be added to your computer. Most script blocking add-ons have been proven effective, such as PC World's World Class Award winner "NoScript"; this tool helps to make Firefox safe by allowing Java Script and other executable content to run only from trusted domains of your choice. If you want to make Firefox safe you should have some form of script blocking.
Not all add-ons are made equal. Some Firefox's add-ons can make you more vulnerable to attack from malicious software. Hackers are able to implant Java script code into your browsers via the add-ons security holes. This allows spyware to record your personal info and passwords. These add-ons have become favorite tools for hackers are:
Google Toolbar, Yahoo Toolbar, Del.icio.us Extension, Facebook Toolbar, AOL Toolbar, Ask.com Toolbar, and Netcraft Anti-Phishing Toolbar.
2. Keep Your Private Data Safe
The second step to make Firefox safe is private data security. One of the major areas of concern for Firefox safe usage is the amount of internet history that Firefox records. All web browsers can record your Internet history, search history and passwords. However Firefox 3 has added features that allow it to remember all your password. This password manager benefits anyone with multiple complicated passwords. However, its better to not store these in your browser. If you insist on storing your passwords in Firefox, you should apply the master password feature that protects your saved passwords. Here is how:
1. Click "Tools"
2. Scroll down and choose "Options"
3. Choose the Privacy heading
4. Select "Saved Passwords"
5. Set "Master Password"
A Master Password will not prevent others from reading locally stored e-mails, viewing your browsing history, or from accessing sites the browser is already logged in to. You will need to shut down the browser and clear your temporary internet files to remove this data:
1. Quit , Firefox and any other web browser
2. Click Start, click "Control Panel", and then double-click "Internet Options".
3. On the General tab, click "Delete Files" under Temporary Internet Files.
4. In the Delete Files dialog box, click to select the "Delete all offline content" check box , and then click OK.
5. Click "OK".
Remember that Firefox does a traditional delete. So, this does not permanently erase the data from your hard drive. Only a secure delete can award you the ability to erase data from the drive permanently. For more on secure delete visit this Secure Delete Tutorial page
3. Listen to the Warnings
You can make Firefox safe by customizing your security settings to warn you of any suspected problems. By using this option, Firefox will warn you if a site has had a history of malicious attacks. This is a great preemptive measure that can save you from malware attacks and make Firefox safe. Here is how:
1. Click "Tools"
2. Scroll down and choose "Options"
3. Choose the Security tab
4. Click the check box for : "Warm me when a sites try to install add-ons", "Tell me if the site I'm visiting is a suspected attack site" and "Tell me if the site I'm visiting is a suspected forgery site.
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