Securing Your Browser

Surfing the net can be dangerous, but do know you can give yourself what i can call a "FirstAid Kit" against malicious sites.

I will talk about this on the most used browsers. First i will discuss Securing your Firefox Browser.

 

Mozilla: Being the most used browser, with the largest add-on app. Add-ons are like extension to the browser, which are installed into the Mozilla. So what are the types of add-on that can protect you when surfing the net.

1.  HTTPS Finder: Its detects and enforces HTTPS connections when available on a site.

2. HTTPS Everywhere : Ensure that every search on our browser sent are encrypted and at the same time, encrypt most or all of the browser's communications with some other sites:

3. No Script : Allow active content to run only from sites you trust, and protect yourself against XSS and Clickjacking attacks.

4. Secure Login : Protect against phishing, malicious JavaScript code to automatically steal your login data, Websites requiring JavaScript for the login process can be added to an exception list.

5. Webutation : shows you the reputation of a site with a simple green/yellow/red icon and scans websites against virus and bad user feedback

  6.Ghostery : Protect your privacy. See who's tracking your web browsing and block them with Ghostery.

Password Do’s and Don’ts

Do you have password like awesome, everlasting or word from the dictionary . Now is the time to stop using them and look for alternatives.Below are methods not to use when creating your password just because you easily want to remember it.

-Create unique passwords that that use a combination of words, numbers, symbols, and both upper- and lower-case letters.

-Do not use your network username as your password.i.e admin, administrator
-Don’t use easily guessed passwords, such as “password” or “user.”
-Do not choose passwords based upon details that may not be as confidential as you’d expect, such as your birth date, your Social Security or phone number, or names of family members.
-Do not use words that can be found in the dictionary. Password-cracking tools freely available online often come with dictionary lists that will try thousands of common names and passwords. If you must use dictionary words, try adding a numeral to them, as well as punctuation at the beginning or end of the word (or both!).
-Avoid using simple adjacent keyboard combinations: For example, “qwerty” and “asdzxc” and “123456″ are horrible passwords and that are trivial to crack.
-Use passwords that are at least eight characters long. Each character you add to a password makes it an order of magnitude harder to attack via brute-force methods.
-If you have trouble remembering your passwords, try replacing certain letters in the word with look-alike numbers. For example, the password “alabama” could be far more secure when typed as “4labAm4.” or "awesome" which can be written as "@we$omE" .
Another useful and secure way of remembering and creating strong passwords is to use the first letter of each word in a phrase from a favorite book or song. For example, “Revenge is best served cold" can be “RibsC.” Add a digit and/or some capitalization and you’ve got a pretty strong password.
-Avoid using the same password at multiple Web sites. It’s generally safe to re-use the same password at sites that do not store sensitive information about you (like a news Web site) provided you don’t use this same password at sites that are sensitive.
-Never use the password you’ve picked for your email account at any online site: If you do, and an e-commerce site you are registered at gets hacked, there’s a good chance someone will be reading your e-mail soon.
-Whatever you do, don’t store your list of passwords on your computer in plain text. My views on the advisability of keeping a written list of your passwords has evolved over time. The most secure method for remembering your passwords is to create a list of every Web site for which you have a password and next to each one write your login name and a clue that has meaning only for you.You can also make use of apps that store password for you i.e Keepass, Lastpass,  PasswordSafe and  Roboform. If you forget your password, most Web sites will email it to you (assuming you can remember which email address you signed up with).
-One thing to note about password storage in Firefox: If you have not enabled and assigned a “master password” to manage your passwords in Firefox, anyone with physical access to your computer and user account can view the stored passwords in plain text, simply by clicking “Options,” and then “Show Passwords.” To protect your passwords from local prying eyes, drop a check mark into the box next to “Use Master Password” at the main Options page, and choose a strong password that only you can remember. You will then be prompted to enter the master password once per session when visiting a site that uses one of your stored passwords.
-There are several third-party programs that can help users safeguard sensitive passwords, including  & and . Keepass is another robust, free password manager program that works similarly to Password Safe. Take care to pick a strong master password, but one that you can remember; just as with the Firefox master password option, if you forget the master password you are pretty much out of luck.

Cleanware for your System

1: The PC Decrapifier

The PC Decrapifier easily removes the most common pieces of junk that clutter up a new Windows PC. You can run it from a USB drive (great for desktop support technicians).

PC Decrapifier

The PC Decrapifier

2: SlimComputer

SlimComputer performs basic performance tuning, such as disabling services and reordering startup items. It can remove some of the less intrusive items, too, like links to trial offers. SlimComputer is interesting in that users can give feedback on what applications should be included in the scans, and it uses a cloud-based system to get this crowdsourced data when you run a scan.

SlimComputer

SlimComputer

3: WinPatrol

WinPatrol is not nearly as automated as some of the other tools on this list, but what it lacks in automation, it makes up for with control. WinPatrol provides extensive lists of the applications on your system and gives you the choice to disable or remove them. Better enjoyed when paid for.

WinPatrol

WinPatrol

4: Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller shows installed apps on your system and remove them, of course. But more important, it can look at applications that are already gone, find the traces of them that were left over, and give them the heave-ho as well. In addition, it can monitor what occurs during an installation and use that data to completely uninstall an application. Revo Uninstaller has free and paid versions.

Revo

Revo Uninstaller

5: CCleaner

 CCleaner makes sure that no traces of crap apps are left behind. CCleaner can also perform the basic tasks of uninstalling software and detecting what runs on startup. It comes in a free edition, a “home” edition, and a commercial user edition. There is also a portable version for running from a USB drive that does not require an installation of its own.

CCleaner