Firewall

• Install a firewall on your computer before you browse the Internet (see Resources). These firewalls will protect you while you are jumping from page to page online (web surfing). Be sure that the firewall protects you from both inbound and outbound unauthorized activity. (Outbound activity is when a program on your computer sends information about your usage to a web server online.)
  
  

Random Links

• Avoid clicking links that you see posted in forums and chat rooms and on unfamiliar websites. You could unknowingly be directed to what is called an "attack site." You will only know that the website is malicious if you have a firewall installed (such as McAfee, which keeps a record of website information and blocks bad sites from downloading).
  
  Instead, if you see a website posted, hover over the link to see the source (look at the bottom left corner of your browser window). Then do a search on Google or another search engine for the domain (for instance, "is abc.com safe?" or "abc.com attack site") to see if it is legitimate. Do not download or click any random links that end in ".exe" (executable) because that is the main way that viruses download themselves to a computer.
  
  

Clear Your Cache and Cookies

• At the end of each Internet browser session, clear your cache so that the files that you downloaded won't sit on your hard drive and take up space unnecessarily. These files can also be accessed by other parties if they are not cleared. In most browsers, simply click "Tools" and then "Options" to clear the data and files associated with your web session.
  
  

Mozilla vs. Internet Explorer

• Internet Explorer has been the No. 1 web browser for years. Because of this, many virus and spyware program writers have targeted Internet Explorer's weaknesses. Consider using Mozilla Firefox (Mozilla.org), which is also a very popular browser, or another option such as Safari or Chrome since these options are less likely to have Internet security issues. Mozilla also has added protections, including anti-malware technologies and a tool that instantly blocks bad websites that try to obtain viewer information.