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BROWSERS. Browsing more Safely. What is a Browser?. A browser is a program we use to access the internet. Examples we commonly use include: Mozilla Firefox; Google Chrome Internet Explorer; and Microsoft Edge. The choice is yours! (We recommend Firefox). BE VERY CAREFUL!. Why?.
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BROWSERS Browsing more Safely
What is a Browser? • A browser is a program we use to access the internet. • Examples we commonly use include: • Mozilla Firefox; • Google Chrome • Internet Explorer; and • Microsoft Edge. • The choice is yours! (We recommend Firefox)
Why? • The Internet is fertile ground for both Scams and Malicious Software. • Before you venture forth you need: • TO BE CONSTANTLY AWARE. • Have a good, up to date, real time anti-virus program. We continue to suggest Windows Defender which comes with your Operating System. • Have a good, up to date, real time anti-malware system. We continue to suggest Malwarebytes.
Why? (cont.) • On the Internet, the bad guys go where the good guys hang out. • Be particularly careful on Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. These are prime target areas. • Celebrity Sites – or sites about celebrities – are always popular. • BUT THE DANGERS COULD BE ANYWARE!
Some Basic Precautions . . . • Whenever you visit a web site you’ll see something like this: • http (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) – refers to a computer language that manages your interaction with web sites. • https – the “s” indicates that this is a secure site.
Some Basic Precautions (cont.) • Be aware that only some pages of a web site may be ‘Secure’. • Be aware also that some web sites have links that take you to a completely different site. • It is suggested that personal/sensitive information only be entered if you see https & you are in the site you intended. • Remember that ‘Secure’ is a relative term – always be careful.
Searching In this illustration, a search was made for ‘download malwarebytes’. We see multiple possibilities. Everything you see has been written by the organization behind the site EXCEPT: . . the GREEN site address – this give us a clue. All of these examples may be valid BUT: . . It’s best to choose the one that belongs to the parent company you’re looking for.
I KNOW WHERE I WANT TO GO(More or Less) BUT HOW DO I GET THERE?
Four Ways . . . • Your own ‘Home Page’. • Favourites/Bookmarks. • Directly to a known address. • Searching/Browsing.
‘Home Page’ • The Home Page is the web site that you have chosen for your Browser to go to automatically every time it is started. • When a Browser is installed, a Home Page chosen by the manufacturer will be the default. • You can change the Home Page to your choice at any time, and as often as you want.
Choosing/Changing Your Home Page(Firefox) • Browse until you see the screen you want to use as your Home Page. • On the Toolbar click Tools – Options. You will see: • Click as shown.
Favourites / Bookmarks • Are the same thing – different names in different Browsers. • Shortcuts to frequently-visited web sites. • It is preferable to display the shortcuts to those sites you visit most frequently on a toolbar. (Not usually visible on install). • If too many sites, they may be displayed in a list format.
Tips for Searching • Don’t enter just a single word in your search. Enter several ‘keywords’. • Narrow your search. • There’s no need to enter the introductory “stuff” – i.e. http://www., etc. • Don’t use ‘noise’ words like ‘and’, ‘the’, ‘or’, ‘by’. • Use double inverted commas for precise searches.
Tips for Searching (cont.) • Be very careful when choosing which sites to visit – e.g. go to a manufacturer’s home site rather than to a third party’s. • Don’t let your internet screen get too cluttered – close unwanted tabs. • Use the ‘Bookmarks Toolbar’ (Firefox) for speed and efficiency.
What is a ‘Search Engine’? • A ‘Search Engine’ is a program that uses words that you have entered, treats them as references & looks for Web Sites that relate to those words. • Google is probably the best known Engine. • There are many Search Engines available that can be downloaded. • Choose the one you prefer.
Default Search Engines • The default for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is Bing. • The default for Google Chrome is (of course) Google. • The default for Mozilla Firefox is also Google.