I'd like to tell here about some tools and methods, which could make your web surfing safer, faster and easyer...

I would speak about some special tools, oftentimes not very good known, about some setting up your PC and tweaking it for more security.

The most important aspect - from my own point of view - is that my advices are aimed to grow up security status of PC without hogging much of system resources.

So don't wait for news about 'Monstrous Internet-Security-Bundles' here - only LIGHT tools&methods.

First, lets speak about principles of advanced web security nowadays. (We consider that all of us are Windows-users, just because of using Windows-only browser )

The Web is full of disaster - you know!

But you can defeat all (OK - almost all) problems, taking just a few relatively simple steps according to the next statement - what you need to feel yourself secured is to:

1. Use alternative (not very popular, mainstream) browser - this not only reduces the probability of direct infection by using some browser 'holes' but also minimizes the risks of your personal data (passwords etc.) losses.
It's not about full absence of 'holes' in alternative browsers, but their unpopularity leads to the lack of malware, oriented on your software. Hackers like mass-market, so they firstly attack most popular OS (alas it's Windows), most popular browser (IE), e-mail client, IM-client etc.

And fortunately we are in good position here! We use KM - not very popular browser, so I can hardly imagine the hacker, who aims exactly at KM users.
Mission complete, let's go further...

2. It's a good idea to use portable software particularly browser. Why?
It's simple - full installed software is a) tightly integrated with system and b) stores data in standard locations.
First leads to more easy way for malware to infect system files and folders. Second facilitates the trojans and worms to steal your data.
This occurs because much (not all, of course!) of malware are relatively primitive pieces of code and they look for their targets according to the some (short) list of locations (folders, filenames, registry values etc.)

Using portable browser (or other software) is moreover simply more convenient in case of migrating to the new system or when working on more than one PC.

And what about us? I'm using only portable builds of KM for a long time and you can too. Most of actual KM-versions are offered as portable builds.

So, the next level is...

3. Web content filtering.
The Web is the Great Junk Yard. Really. The 90% of web contents isn't what your ever would need - even useful pages are full of 'web-shit' like ads, scripts, tracking bits, web-bugs and so on. We didn't even say about pоrn

All this makes you surfing not only unsafe but slows it down and makes very unconvenient.
So - FILTER THEM ALL OUT!

Web filtering tools spectrum is wide:
- ad-blockers
- script-filters
- sites (hosts) blockers
- web-bug finders and removers
- filtering DNS and proxies
and so on.

You know about AdBlock Plus (for K-Meleon), NoScript, Policies Manager and Unmask Parasites extensions for our browser (don't you? Really?! Go to KM Extensions Central and take them!).

4. Avoid third-party extensions vulnerabilities.
Not only the browser is the window to the web. Surfing involves different media types that are handled sometime by third-party software like FlashPlayer, MediaPlayer, java-machine or some specific extensions.
And their vulnerabilities exist alongside with browser own ones, giving hackers additional possibilities to infect your PC.

-> What to do?
There are 2 modes of behavior: close the backdoors (apply patches/vulnerability fixes) or change the whole construction using other 'piece of code'.
For example, we don't have any REAL alternative to Oracle (formerly Sun) Java and Adobe FlashPlayer, so just update them on regular basis and they would be comparatively secure.
But when it comes to PDF-handling or Media playback, we haven't to stick with Adobe Reader or Windows Media - just replace your default apps by alternatives! There are beautiful things on the market - like Foxit Reader (or Sumatra, or Slim PDF Viewer, etc.) for PDF and multitude of suitable power media players, so why not to make them default?

Try this and you'll really love this way of getting secured for free (and easy)...

What more?

Watch this thread and you'll find something new about web security!

And - of course - add you own comments, questions and share your knowledge about web & PC security here!



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2012 09:51AM by rodocop.