Like Adware and Spyware? Use
Internet Explorer by Andrew Morris
Despite efforts to close security
loopholes with Microsoft Internet Explorer, problems abound. USA Today reports
in a recent article entitled, "Security risks swell for Microsoft's Explorer",
that using Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser to surf the Internet has
become a marked risk, even with the latest security patches installed.
Other media outlets have followed suit. The British journal The Inquirer
reported that the US Government has sent out a warning out to internet users
through its Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), pleading users to stop
using Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Furthermore, in a vulnerability note
released by US-CERT, it says "there are a number of significant vulnerabilities
in technologies relating to the IE domain" and that "it is possible to reduce
exposure to these vulnerabilities by using a different web browser." Well,
they're right.
So what do you do if you need to surf the Web and don't want to use Internet
Explorer? It may be time to give Firefox a try. Firefox is an award-winning,
free Web browser from Mozilla, the folks who brought you Web browsing before
Microsoft jumped on the bandwagon.
According to the latest release notes, "Firefox protects you from viruses,
spyware and pop-ups. Enjoy improvements to performance, ease of use and privacy.
It's easy to import your favorites and settings and get started." Specific
adware and spyware prevention features of the latest edition of Firefox include
automatic updates, pop-up blocking, and stronger overall security enforcement.
Supporting automatic updates, the new Software Update feature makes it easy to
get the latest security and feature updates to Firefox. Firefox automatically
downloads these small updates in the background and prompts you when they are
ready to be installed. It is easy to forget to check a Web site to download new
versions of software or install security patches.
If you have ever been annoyed by pop-ups, Firefox's built-in pop-up blocker has
been enhanced to block more unwanted pop-up and pop-under ads.
And speaking of stronger security, Firefox keeps you more secure when you're
browsing the Web, closing the door on spyware, worms, and viruses. The Firefox
community of developers and security experts works around the clock to monitor
security issues and release updates to better protect you.
Finally, an overlooked security issues (particularly on shared computers) is the
exposure of private data like credit-card and social security numbers. Firefox
protects your privacy with the new Clear Private Data tool. With a single click,
you can delete all personal data, including browsing history, cookies, Web form
entries and passwords.
So if you're tired of adware and spyware issues with Internet Explorer, I'd
recommend switching to Firefox, or at least trying it in parallel for a while.
I've made the switch and I wouldn't go back.
About the Author:
Andrew Morris is a technical
professional and writer living in Austin, Texas. Learn more about adware and
spyware removal at
Remove Adware Components
Source of this article:
www.goarticles.com
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