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The Tech Corner 01/31/2005
Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Internet Explorer are vulnerable to security exploits and attacks. There is a legion of hackers working tirelessly day and night to find and exploit security holes in the programs. It is such a hot item that in June 2004 the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team recommended that people use another browser.
Microsoft Windows is safe until you connect it to other computers. This week we will look at how to reduce the chance that your system can be compromised. The most common target, other than email, is your web browser.
The most widely used web browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer. It is also your weakest link in defending against security problems. You do however have a few, safer, alternatives to Internet Explorer, my favorite is a great program that is also free.
FireFox is a free web browser that is fast, safe, feature rich, customizable, and easy to use it is available for Windows, Macintosh and Linux systems. There are no hidden costs, and no spy ware. In addition to the security aspects FireFox has some very nice features that make it a viable and superior alternative.
My particular favorite is Tabbed Browsing, as the Firefox website describes it:
“Tabbed browsing makes surfing the web faster and more convenient. Web pages are loaded in "tabs" within the same browser window, making it easy to switch back and forth among multiple web pages. Tabbed browsing is perfect for reading the news or sifting through search results. “
Tabbed browsing is a great help and makes working with the web much faster and easier. There are also many extensions available for download that extend the usability of the browser, they range from a dictionary search to a status bar media controller.
While the browser is a great free resource there are a few things that need to be understood. There are some websites are coded to use Internet Explorer specifically, when visiting on of those sites they may not display correctly or loose some of their functionality, you will have to use Internet Explorer on those sites.
There is also the issue of Plug-Ins, many websites require programs to be installed on your computer to see their content like: games, streaming music, streaming video, or chat rooms. FireFox handles these fine but may require you to install them, this is an easy process since it will prompt you to install the free applications automatically.
FireFox is a 4.7 MB download that should not tax even the slowest Internet connections. Give it a try, you will be impressed by its features, security, and price.
Send your tech related question to me at mat@muw.edu and we will post an answer next edition.
Next edition we will look at a free alternative to the email program Microsoft Outlook Express, what you are protecting yourself from by making your computer more secure, and answering first tech question from you.
FireFox is availible from http://www.getfirefox.com/ as a free download.
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