Intel looks beyond PCs, eyes new segments

The future is in personal computing, not just personal computers, according to Intel CEO Paul Otellini who said his company was betting on new market segments such as netbooks, handhelds and consumer electronics to drive growth with PC sales likely to be “flat or slightly up” this year.

Intel, whose range of microprocessors power almost 80% of computers worldwide, also announced that it

has built working chips that pack 2.9 billion transistors in an area the size of a finger nail.

Delivering his keynote at the Intel Developers’ Forum 2009, Mr Otellini also launched an Intel Atom Developer Programme inviting third party programmers to create new programs for its Atom line of microprocessors. Atom powers net books — bare-bone PCs with small screens for net surfing and word processing — a segment, which Mr Otellini said was holding up the whole computer market now.

“We have the worst recession in 70 years. The netbook filled the gap,” he said, adding that Atom will eventually cover connected devices. “At the highest level, every electronic device is likely to be connected to the Internet at some point in time. And we think the architecture to do this, obviously, is Atom,” he said. 

Netbooks outpaced the two other popular devices in the consumer market — Apple’s iPhone and the Nintendos gaming console Wii — in the past three quarters, he added. In-vehicle infotainment systems, which clocked a 17% growth rate in the year when the automotive industry slipped to a recession, are another growth area for Intel.

Mr Otellini said that a company that Intel has been working with over three years, Harman Becker, has secured two major design contracts for Atom-based systems. “Daimler will put it into their S-Class and C-Class series starting in 2012, and BMW is developing a cross-platform, which means it goes across all their models, as an option for 2012 and beyond,” the Intel CEO said.

Intel has also begun factory production of its 32 nanometre chip, and the latest one — the 22nm one — continues to deliver the promise of Moore’s Law: smaller transistors, improved performance and lower cost, said Sean Maloney, Intel’s executive vice-president.

“The rapidly increasing number of transistors and processor instructions we add have made possible the integration of more and more capabilities and features within our processors. This has driven an incredible amount of innovation throughout the industry, with the real winners being the consumers, gamers and businesses,” he said.

How to Speed Up Windows 7 - Quick and Simple Ways to Optimize Your Windows 7 Performance

A computer has become a necessity in our daily lives. This is because we rely on it to store important information, chat with family and friends, communicate with our clients, and send and receive information.

Therefore, even a small problem with our computer can prove to be frustrating. Also, if you have Windows 7 as the operating system on your computer and it is giving a reduced performance, you may often have thought how to speed up Windows 7.

Taking your computer to a repair shop or calling an expert is not an affordable solution. This can cost you a lot of money over the time. Therefore, you need to look for a much more cheap and efficient solution for how to speed up Windows 7.

One way to ensure that your computer speeds up and keeps giving consistent performance is by installing and running a good registry cleaner on it. A good cleaning software program speeds up your operating system in the following ways:

• It cleans up the Windows registry, which is the root cause for many system errors. If the files and settings in the Windows registry are damaged, lost, or corrupted, Windows 7 slows down and starts giving errors. By running a registry cleaning expert on your computer, you make sure that all these errors are identified and repaired, thereby causing Windows 7 to speed up.

• It deletes all redundant and unused files in the Windows registry, which were accumulated during the uninstalling of hardware and software, and ensures that your computer gives enhanced performance.

• It provides you with the facility to defragment your system regularly. This ensures that your system continues to give superior and excellent performance over the time.

• Registry cleaning software keeps a backup of all registry files before the scan and repair process. Therefore, even if you lose out on any of the important files and information, you have the option to retrieve them.

Registry cleaning software comes at a very cheap rate and offers you a free trial period. You can use the software during the trial period and see the scan results for yourself. If you are satisfied with the scan results, you can buy the compete version of the software and use it to repair the identified errors. 

So you see, now you know how to speed up Windows 7!

7 Things to Watch For in Windows 7

If you follow computer operating system news, you might have noticed the conversations in some technical circles about Microsoft's next operating system called Windows 7. This new Windows version is due out in the fourth quarter of 2009 and it includes some interesting and useful features.

It appears that Windows 7 is going to be a good one. At least that is the early consensus from those in the hallowed halls of IT. Windows 7 RC1 (Release Candidate 1) is being put to the test and here are seven (imagine that) things that are liked about this new operating system:

1) Windows 7 Action Center

No, this is not a news desk on your local TV station. This is a centralized location from which management of user security, troubleshooting, and recovery issues can be performed. All of these features were included in prior versions of Microsoft Windows, but you had to go to separate places to get to them. Now, this application brings them all together under one roof. Brought over and expanded from Windows Vista, this is one improvement that is sure to please.

2) Windows 7 Problem Step Recorder

Have you ever had a problem with your computer that keeps on happening again and again? If you cannot connect remotely to a help desk or other source of support, you cannot accurately describe what is happening. Now, you can use the Problem Step Recorder (PSR) and record all of the screen pictures, keystrokes and mouse clicks and save them into an MHTML (web) document that allows you to send it as a zipped (compressed) file to those who can help you.

3) Windows 7 ISO burner

The term ISO is a name for an image (software capture) that is created for the purpose of distributing software to computers. Mainly used to create CD's, the ISO standard has been around for a while. But in the past, Windows versions did not have a utility that allowed you to burn this directly to a CD or DVD. Now you will find this useful applet included in the operating system right where it needed to be all along.

4) Windows 7 Credential Manager

Ever get tired of managing multiple user names and passwords? The new Credential Manager is better than Windows Vista's User Accounts applet. It allows for secure storage of passwords and credentials in the Windows Vault that gives you access to other computers, websites, email accounts, etc.

5) Windows 7 Text Tuning and Color Calibration

In your use of Windows, getting things to look right on your monitors can sometimes be a chore. What resolution do you use? What if you want to use a resolution that does not look right on the screen? Now you can adjust that with this Control Panel application. This is particularly helpful if you have more than one monitor, because you can adjust each separately. It actually lets you compare text and colors on your monitor and pick what looks best to you.

6) Windows 7 System Repair Disk

Different Windows versions have included some repair features in the past, but nothing like this. This feature provides a very user-friendly graphical interface that allows you to create a CD or DVD that is bootable and contains files that can help you fix problems with your Windows Installation. You can access system recovery options even if you don't have or can't find your original Windows installation disc.

7) Windows 7 Backup and Restore

In Windows XP System Restore was perfected. But backup remained limited in its features. In Windows 7, backup features have been greatly improved and combined with restore functions to allow for a better overall experience in these critical areas.

Windows 7 includes many other new and improved features over prior versions of this operating system, but these are 7 of the most commented-on by early adopters.

Windows 7 Ultimate CD keys

Get Windows 7 Official Beta Key

1. Go to hotmail.com, Login with your windows live id.

2. Go to http://technet.microsoft.com/ ( make sure you are singed in )

3. Now copy and paste one of the following links into your browser.

For Windows 7 Beta 32-bit Activation Key:
https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/scripts/gcs.aspx?Product=tn-win7-32-ww&LCID=1033

For Windows 7 Beta 64-bit Activation Key:
https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/scripts/gcs.aspx?Product=tn-win7-64-ww&LCID=1033

Note: You can get 5 unique keys for a live id with which you are login with for both 64 bit and 32 bit editions.

How to Prevent Windows Problems

Preventing Windows problems may be the best thing that you can do for your computer. With the economy doing crazy things, now is not the time to have problems with your PC. Getting your computer fixed at the local PC shop is expensive and not even guaranteed to solve its problems. Luckily, there are many things you can do to recession-proof your computer and eliminate Windows problems.
Keeping a Windows computer in top shape is about using common sense and know-how to avoid problems. Often, trouble is brewing long before the user notices a problem.
Consider this analogy: You fill a pot with water, put it on the stove and walk away. After about 20 minutes the pot is so hot that the top rises up and water boils over the side. Why did that happen? Because you were not paying attention to it before it boiled over: The pot is the computer; the water is your Windows Operating System.
The easiest way to fix a Windows computer is to prevent it from having a problem in the first place. It is always better to know the condition of your computer and operating system - it will save you tons of frustration, work and time.
The following is a list of what you can do to recession-proof your computer:
1. Don’t Buy a New Computer; Speed Up the One You Have
It may seem an attractive option to buy that shiny new computer on sale – especially as many companies are almost giving them away. Often, however,you can inexpensively upgrade your current one to make it faster. The single best and cheapest thing you can do to make Windows run faster is to have enough operating memory and hard drive space.
2. Protect Your Computer
Power - Every computer should have some type of power protection. Preferable a power strip with a small battery backup, so you can close Windows safely if there is a power outage.
Firewall and Antivirus Software – Every computer needs Firewall and Antivirus software to keep out hackers and stop viruses before they turn a computer into toast.
3. Use Common Sense
Internet Browsing – be careful what you look at and click on while browsing on the Internet. Here is an extreme scenario: You are happily surfing along, when something automatically starts downloading or opening tons of windows on your computer that you cannot stop it. Think that sounds crazy?It is more common than you would imagine.
Downloading Programs – Don’t download programs to your computer, from sites that are anything other than mainstream vendors like Amazon.com,Tucows.com and other reputable stores. Anyone can throw up a web site; not just anyone deserves your trust.
Passwords – Don’t use the same ID and password for every web site you use. Create a standard ID and different password for each web site you visit.That way if you sign up on some site that doesn’t have ethical standards, you will not have to worry about someone taking that ID and password and trying to use them all over the web. Also, keep your passwords in a safe place: Write them down on a piece of paper and put the paper in a locked desk drawer.
Pay Attention - Paying attention to the little things will pay you back ten times in less downtime and problems with your Windows computer. If your computer is operating slowly, ask yourself why. Read up on a possible cause.
Fully Read Error Messages - When you encounter an error message in Windows, don’t just click through it. Read it completely. If it is something serious, you might even want to make a screenshot of it and save it for further consideration.
Shutdown Your Computer Safely – don’t just shutoff the power switch on your computer during normal operation. Use Windows to perform a safe shutdown. Only in extreme conditions (like those mentioned in Internet Browsing above), should you do anything other than an orderly shutdown of Windows.
Backup Your Work Often – Your hard drive is going to crash – it is just a question of when. There are steps you can take to safely and easily secure your information. Backing up your data will save you hours of frustration and worry.
4. Perform Quarterly Maintenance
You do maintenance on your car – why not your computer? Every three months or so do some preventative maintenance. You don’t have to be manic about maintenance to do just enough to keep it healthy.
Clean Your Desktop – a desktop without files on it (other than shortcuts), will always run faster than one with many.
Scan Windows System Files – check and fix any conditions in your operating system
Scan Your Hard Drive - Check and fix hard drive problems using the Chkdsk command.
Scan Your Computer for Viruses – if you don’t have your Antivirus program set up to automatically download the latest virus definition and scan your computer weekly, you are wrong. You should set that up. But, if you still don’t want to do that, at least do it 4 times a year.

How to Determine my Computer's Mac Address

How to find your computer's network MAC address.

MAC stands for "Media Access Control" and is a permanent ID number associated with a computer's physical Ethernet or wireless (Wife) network card built into the computer. This number is used to identify computers on a network in addition to the computer's IP address. The MAC address is often used to identify computers that are part of a large network such as an office building or college computer lab network. No two network cards have the same MAC address.

On Windows based computers

1. Click on the "Start" menu and click on the "Run" prompt.
2. Type in "cmd" in the "Run" text box and press "Enter." A DOS command prompt window appears.
3. Type in "ipconfig /all" in the command prompt and press "Enter." Note the space between "ipconfig" and the "/." A list of items appears within the DOS command prompt. Look for "Physical Address" and view the number next to this item. This is your network card's MAC address. 
4. Depending on whether you are on a wired or wireless connection at the time of checking this information the MAC address shown will be for whichever network device is in use (Ethernet or WiFi).

On Mac OS based systems

1. Click on the "Apple" logo in the upper left of the screen. Select the "System Preferences" menu item. Select the "Network" option under "System Preferences." If you are using a wired connection through an Ethernet cable proceed to Step 2, if you are using a wireless connection proceed to Step 4. 
2. Click on the "Ethernet" tab within the "Network" window. If you do not see this tab look for an item labeled "Advanced" and click on this item and click the "Ethernet" tab when it appears.
3. Look for an item labeled "Ethernet ID" under the "Ethernet" tab. The number next to this item is your computer's MAC address.

Click on the "Airport" tab under the "Network" options. Look for "Airport ID" underneath the list of available networks. The number next to "Airport ID" is your MAC address. 

References:

Knowledge Base, What is a MAC address: http://kb.iu.edu/data/alfq.html

Coffer.com, How to determine MAC address: http://www.coffer.com/mac_info/

Caught A Virus?

Caught A Virus?
If you've let your guard down--or even if you haven't--it can be hard to tell if your PC is infected. Here's what to do if you suspect the worst.
Heard this one before? You must run antivirus software and keep it up to date or else your PC will get infected, you'll lose all your data, and you'll incur the wrath of every e-mail buddy you unknowingly infect because of your carelessness.
You know they're right. Yet for one reason or another, you're not running antivirus software, or you are but it's not up to date. Maybe you turned off your virus scanner because it conflicted with another program. Maybe you got tired of upgrading after you bought Norton Antivirus 2001, 2002, and 2003. Or maybe your annual subscription of virus definitions recently expired, and you've put off renewing.
It happens. It's nothing to be ashamed of. But chances are, either you're infected right now, as we speak, or you will be very soon.
For a few days in late January, the Netsky.p worm was infecting about 2,500 PCs a day. Meanwhile the MySQL bot infected approximately 100 systems a minute (albeit not necessarily desktop PCs). As David Perry, global director of education for security software provider Trend Micro, puts it, "an unprotected [Windows] computer will become owned by a bot within 14 minutes."
Today's viruses, worms, and so-called bots--which turn your PC into a zombie that does the hacker's bidding (such as mass-mailing spam)--aren't going to announce their presence. Real viruses aren't like the ones in Hollywood movies that melt down whole networks in seconds and destroy alien spacecraft. They operate in the background, quietly altering data, stealing private operations, or using your PC for their own illegal ends. This makes them hard to spot if you're not well protected.

5 safety tips for using a public computer

5 safety tips for using a public computer
Public computers in libraries, Internet cafes, airports, and copy shops can be safe if you follow a few simple rules when you use them.
Read these tips to help keep your work, personal, or financial information private.
1. Don't save your logon information
Always log out of Web sites by clicking "log out" on the site. It's not enough to simply close the browser window or type in another address.
Many programs (especially social networking Web sites, Web mail, and instant messenger programs) include automatic login features that will save your user name and password. Disable this option so no one can log in as you.
2. Don't leave the computer unattended with sensitive information on the screen
If you have to leave the public computer, log out of all programs and close all windows that might display sensitive information.
3. Erase your tracks
Internet Explorer 8 offers InPrivate browsing that leaves no trace of specific Web activity. For more information, see Browse privately.
Internet Explorer also keeps a record of your passwords and every page you visit, even after you've closed them and logged out.
Disable the feature that stores passwords
Before you go to the Web, turn off the Internet Explorer feature that "remembers" your passwords.
1.In Internet Explorer, click Tools, and then click Internet Options.
2.Click the Content tab, and then click Settings, next to AutoComplete.
3.Click to clear both check boxes having to do with passwords.
Delete your temporary Internet files and your history
When you finish your use of a public computer, you can help protect your private information by deleting your temporary Internet files. For information on how to delete temporary Internet files on Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8, see Delete temporary Internet files.
4. Watch for over-the-shoulder snoops
When you use a public computer, be on the look out for thieves who look over your shoulder or watch as you enter sensitive passwords to collect your information.
5. Don't enter sensitive information into a public computer
These measures provide some protection against casual hackers who use a public computer after you have.
But keep in mind that an industrious thief might have installed sophisticated software on the public computer that records every keystroke and then e-mails that information back to the thief.
Then it doesn't matter if you haven't saved your information or if you've erased your tracks. They still have access to this information.
If you really want to be safe, avoid typing your credit card number or any other financial or otherwise sensitive information into any public computer.

Computer Security

Computer Security
In order to better secure your home computer or home network it helps if you have some basic knowledge of how it all works so you can understand what exactly you are securing and why. This will be the first in a 10-part series to help provide an overview of the terms and technology used and some of the tips, tricks, tools and techniques you can use to make sure your computer is secure.
To begin with, I want to provide some understanding of what these terms are so that when you read about the latest malicious code spreading through the Internet and how it gets into and infects your computer you will be able to decipher the techie terms and determine if this affects you or your computer and what steps you can or should take to prevent it. For Part 1 of this series we will cover Hosts, DNS, ISP’s and Backbone.
The term “host” can be confusing because it has multiple meanings in the computer world. It is used to describe a computer or server that provides web pages. In this context it is said that the computer is “hosting” the web site. Host is also used to describe the companies that allow people to share their server hardware and Internet connection to share these as a service rather than every company or individual having to buy all their own equipment.
A “host” in the context of computers on the Internet is defined as any computer that has a live connection with the Internet. All computers on the Internet are peers to one another. They can all act as servers or as clients. You can run a web site on your computer just as easily as you can use your computer to view web sites from other computers. The Internet is nothing more than a global network of hosts communicating back and forth. Looked at in this way, all computers, or hosts, on the Internet are equal.
On the Internet, this is called your IP (Internet protocol) address. The IP address is made up of four blocks of three numbers between 0 and 255.Different ranges of IP addresses are owned by different companies or ISP’s (Internet service providers). By deciphering the IP address it can be funneled to the right host. First it goes to the owner of that range of addresses and can then be filtered down to the specific address its intended for.
I might name my computer “My Computer”, but there is no way for me to know how many other people named their computer “My Computer” so it would not work to try to send communications to “My Computer” any more than addressing a letter simply to “Joe Smith” would get delivered properly.With millions of hosts on the Internet it is virtually impossible for users to remember the addresses of each web site or host they want to communicate with though, so a system was created to let users access sites using names that are easier to recall.

10 Fast and Free Security Enhancements

10 Fast and Free Security Enhancements
Before you spend a dime on security, there are many precautions you can take that will protect you against the most common threats.
1. Check Windows Update and Office Update regularly (_http://office.microsoft.com/productupdates); have your Office CD ready. Windows Me, 2000, and XP users can configure automatic updates. Click on the Automatic Updates tab in the System control panel and choose the appropriate options.
2. Install a personal firewall. Both SyGate (_www.sygate.com) and ZoneAlarm (_www.zonelabs.com) offer free versions.
3. Install a free spyware blocker. Our Editors' Choice ("Spyware," April 22) was SpyBot Search & Destroy (_http://security.kolla.de). SpyBot is also paranoid and ruthless in hunting out tracking cookies.
4. Block pop-up spam messages in Windows NT, 2000, or XP by disabling the Windows Messenger service (this is unrelated to the instant messaging program). Open Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services and you'll see Messenger. Right-click and go to Properties. Set Start-up Type to Disabled and press the Stop button. Bye-bye, spam pop-ups! Any good firewall will also stop them.
5. Use strong passwords and change them periodically. Passwords should have at least seven characters; use letters and numbers and have at least one symbol. A decent example would be f8izKro@l. This will make it much harder for anyone to gain access to your accounts.
6. If you're using Outlook or Outlook Express, use the current version or one with the Outlook Security Update installed. The update and current versions patch numerous vulnerabilities.
7. Buy antivirus software and keep it up to date. If you're not willing to pay, try avast free antivirus (http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download) .
8. If you have a wireless network, turn on the security features: Use MAC filtering, turn off SSID broadcast, and even use WEP with the biggest key you can get. For more, check out our wireless section or see the expanded coverage in Your Unwired World in our next issue.
9. Join a respectable e-mail security list, such as the one found at our own Security Supersite at _http://security.ziffdavis.com, so that you learn about emerging threats quickly and can take proper precautions.
10. Be skeptical of things on the Internet. Don't assume that e-mail "From:" a particular person is actually from that person until you have further reason to believe it's that person. Don't assume that an attachment is what it says it is. Don't give out your password to anyone, even if that person claims to be from "support."

What are "Cookies?"

What are "Cookies?"
Cookies are small text files that are sent to web browsers by web servers. The main purpose of cookie files are to identify users and to present customized information based on personal preferences. Cookie files typically contain information such as your name (or username), password information, or ad-tracking information. There is a good body of literature on the Internet about cookies. Despite what you may have read or heard, most people, including myself, do not view cookies as any kind of a security threat. However, because of the way cookies work (e.g., a web server storing a text file on someone's hard drive), Microsoft (and other browser manufacturers) have built options into their browsers that notify users when cookies are being passed to them, and give the user an option to prevent the cookie from being accepted. I don't think this is a good idea. By rejecting cookies, your browser may not display the entire page or the site may not function as intended.
The reality is that cookies are text files -- they cannot contain viruses or execute applications, they cannot search your hard drive for information or send it to web servers, and most of the information they contain is simple tracking information designed to effect better customer service.

4 ways to protect your laptop on the road

4 ways to protect your laptop on the road
The newest laptops and external drives are powerful, light, and thin enough to fit easily into the slenderest of carry-on baggage. This makes them easy to travel with, but also easier to lose or have stolen.
It pays to be extra vigilant at airport security checkpoints where thieves know people can be flustered.
You should also store your laptop in the seat in front of you, instead of in the overhead compartment when you fly.
Here are our top tips to help you secure the information on your laptop.
1. Protect your information
If you keep personal or financial information on your computer, invest in an operating system that includes file protection.
Windows Vista and Windows XP Professional have the tools to protect your information through a process called encryption.
To learn more, see Encrypt or decrypt a folder or a file (for Windows Vista) or Encrypt Your Data to Keep It Safe (for Windows XP).
2. Protect your laptop with a strong password
If you travel with your laptop frequently, you should secure it with a strong password. Check your computer's Help and Support service to learn how to add or change your system password.
To find out how to create passwords that are tough for hackers to crack, but easy for you to remember, see Strong passwords: How to create and use them.
3. Back up before you go
Always back up your information before you take your laptop on a trip. You can't always avoid the financial loss of your equipment, but you can avoid losing all your information in the process.
To learn how to make copies of all of your information using Windows XP, see How to back up manually or by using the Windows XP Backup utility.
For Windows Vista, see Windows Vista: Windows Backup.
4. Be careful what you store on your thumb drives
With the growing popularity and increasing memory capabilities of small flash drives (known as "thumb drives" or "USB drives") comes a greater risk of information theft.
If you travel with a thumb drive, try not to store sensitive information on it. If you lose the drive or if the drive is stolen it's easy for anyone to access that information. Thumb drives can also carry viruses, so remember to update the antivirus software on your computer.

Why Should I Worry About Security?

Why Should I Worry About Security?
The Internet is a global collection of Interconnected Networks that facilitate information exchange and computer connectivity. The Internet is comprised of many different computers, all of which fall into two categories: servers (also known as "hosts") and clients (also known as "guests") -- technically, everything on the Internet can be considered a "host," but for this discussion, we'll use "hosts" and "guests." Guest machines send bursts of computer data called "packets" which are analyzed by the server belonging to the guest's Internet service provider. If the data is located locally (on the ISP's machine), the ISP's server will return the packets. If the information sought is not local (on another machine), the ISP's server hands off the packets to a router, which then sends the packets to the server containing the information. Once the information is located, it is sent back to the guest machine.
There are many different types of computers that fill these two categories: mainframes, minicomputers, PCs, Macintosh, Unix and others. Despite the many varieties of computers that combine to form the Internet, every computer connected to the Internet needs to be able to communicate with every other computer -- without this ability, there is no Internet. All of these computers are able to communicate because in a sense they can all speak the same language -- TCP/IP. TCP/IP actually isn't a language; it is in computer terms what is known as a "protocol." A protocol is simply a standard for transmitting and receiving bits of information. As long as all of the interconnected computers follow the same protocol, they can exchange information. Unfortunately, when data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet, every other computer in between has an opportunity to see what's being sent. This poses an obvious security problem.
Say you decide to purchase concert tickets on the Web. To do so, you need to fill out an electronic form with your name, address and credit card number. When you submit the form, your information passes from computer to computer on its way to the concert ticket web server. It is possible that someone could be watching the data passing through one of the computers that is in between your computer and the concert ticket server. No one knows how often this happens, but everyone concedes it is technically possible. And its also possible off the web, too -- E-mail can be captured (and read, if not encrypted), as can file transfers via unsecure FTP. If someone wanted to, it wouldn't be too difficult to connect a capture device to someone's phone line (assuming they use a modem to connect to the Internet) and steal an electronic copy of the data exchanged on the Internet. Even if you make your purchase on a secure web site supporting the latest security features, it has been recently shown that secure sites can cause Internet Explorer (and other browsers) to send sensitive information to a non-secure server in plain text format.
The point is, there are a lot of security issues related to a network such as the Internet. No FAQ could possibly cover them all. That is why this FAQ concentrates on Internet Explorer. Because there are millions of people who use Microsoft Windows family products, and because those millions have the ability to blend Internet Explorer with these products, the seriousness about security should be of paramount importance to everyone. Remember, software products are only as secure as the environment in which they operate.

Why Secure Your Web Browser?

Why Secure Your Web Browser?

Today, web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari (to name a few), are installed on almost all computers. Because web browsers are used so frequently, it is vital to configure them securely. Often, the web browser that comes with an operating system is not set up in a secure default configuration. Not securing your web browser can lead quickly to a variety of computer problems caused by anything from spyware being installed without your knowledge to intruders taking control of your computer.

Ideally, computer users should evaluate the risks from the software they use. Many computers are sold with software already loaded. Whether installed by a computer manufacturer, operating system maker, Internet Service Provider, or by a retail store, the first step in assessing the vulnerability of your computer is to find out what software is installed and how one program will interact with another. Unfortunately, it is not practical for most people to perform this level of analysis.

There is an increasing threat from software attacks that take advantage of vulnerable web browsers. We have observed a trend whereby new software vulnerabilities are exploited and directed at web browsers through use of compromised or malicious web sites. This problem is made worse by a number of factors, including the following:

·         Many users have a tendency to click on links without considering the risks of their actions.

·         Web page addresses can be disguised or take you to an unexpected site.

·         Many web browsers are configured to provide increased functionality at the cost of decreased security.

·         New security vulnerabilities may have been discovered since the software was configured and packaged by the manufacturer.

·         Computer systems and software packages may be bundled with additional software, which increases the number of vulnerabilities that may be attacked.

·         Third-party software may not have a mechanism for receiving security updates.

·         Many web sites require that users enable certain features or install more software, putting the computer at additional risk.

·         Many users do not know how to configure their web browsers securely.

·         Many users are unwilling to enable or disable functionality as required to secure their web browser.

As a result, exploiting vulnerabilities in web browsers has become a popular way for attackers to compromise computer systems.

In addition to following this paper's recommendations, refer to the documentation in the References section for other steps you can take to secure your system.