Steps to ensure you are safe on the Web
Step 1: Make sure the Windows firewall is enabled.
Windows XP
Click on Start and then Control Panel
Then click on Security Center
Your firewall setting should look like this
If it does not, change it to On.
Windows Vista/7
Click on the Start button and then Control Panel
Then click on
Then
And the screen should look like
If it does not say it is On, change it to On.
Step 2: Make sure Windows Automatic updates are turned on.
Follow the same instructions as for step 1 except for the following:
WindowsXP
You should see
If this shows that automatic updates are off, you should turn them on.
Windows Vista/7
Click here
and then you should see
If you do not see that automatic updates are on, you should set them to on.
Step 3: Install an anti-virus.
Microsoft offers a good free anti-virus program called Microsoft Security Essentials or MSE. You can download it from Microsoft here.
Step 4: Set up The Cleaner for automatic updates and Smart Scans.
Click on Schedule
And then add both the Smart Scan and Update
Step 5: Install WebOfTrust
This is a program and service to help keep you from being lead to or accidentally going to a bad website. You can get more information and the add-on here.
Step 6: Set up your browser to avoid malicious websites and advertisements .
All major web browsers are capable of checking for updates for themselves. You should not disable this feature and it is on by default.
Internet Explorer
There are currently no add-ons that I know of to selectively block advertisements and scripts.
Firefox
Install Adblock Plus
Install NoScript
