Comp. Explorer » browser

Configure Browser Security Settings

explorercomp — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:04:13 +0000

Internet is increasingly becoming an essential part of our life and it is really hard to think about a life without Internet. To use the Internet we need web browsers. Powerful web browsers are essential to make your surfing smarter and faster. Some of the most common web browsers are Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Apple Safari etc. Each of these web browsers has their own set of special features to make web browsing smoother and more secure.

Browser security is an important factor to be considered while browsing the Internet. It is because the Internet is full of dangers that can strike an unsuspecting victim. Your browsing history can be accessed, used, and manipulated by unsolicited elements if you don’t take proper protection. The history shows your browsing habits which will be fodder for these elements to trouble you.

Therefore, you must clear the browsing history to keep your computer safe from the hackers and intruders. Most of the browsers integrate powerful security features to keep your browser safe. Online transactions such as sharing personal information, credit card details, online shopping, managing business transactions etc normally lead to various system vulnerabilities. Hence, you need to install a powerful security program on your computer while browsing the Internet for such activities.

Cyber criminals are waiting to exploit any vulnerability in your web browsers to gain control over your computer and finally over you. Once they take control of your computer, they can track your personal information, and may damage the system files.

Most of the web browser comes with powerful security settings to make the browsing safe and have the capability to keep a majority of these threats at bay. But you must be familiar with these settings. Each web browser differs in security settings, to ensure maximum security you need to properly configure the browser security settings. For example, you can find out Mozilla Firefox browser security settings by navigating through security options and selecting privacy settings, security settings etc. Some of the powerful security features incorporated in Mozilla Firefox web browser are private browsing mode, location aware browsing etc.

Some of the security options included in popular web browsers are:

•Private Browsing mode: To allow you browse the Internet without saving browsing histories

•Password Settings: Allows you to save/unsave password for websites and it also allow you to create master password to ensure protection

•Manage Cookies: Allows you to disable or restrict cookies

Most of the web browsers provide options to set the security level high, medium or low depending on your requirement. You need to update the web browser to enhance browser security. Various antivirus programs incorporate different browser security options to protect the computer from fraudulent Internet activities, spyware attacks, intruders and hackers. Some of these programs have built-in fishing and other browser protection. By configuring these settings properly, you can protect your computer from all types of threats quickly and effectively.

List of Browsers

explorercomp — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:56:19 +0000

With the massive increase of Internet content — not to mention Internet usage — during the 1990′s, it became essential to create a software that could handily access and navigate the information superhighways of the Net. That’s why in 1991, the first web browser made its appearance. Called WorldWideWeb, it paved the way for the creation of the web browsers we see and use today.

Since then, dozens upon dozens of different web browsers, and the numerous iterations brought upon by some of them have emerged, all vying for the attention of Net users’ – along with the inevitable fame and fortune it’ll hopefully bring to the top contenders.

Here is a list of notable web browsers, compiled and arranged by the year they first debuted.

The pioneers of the industry

1991 saw the birth of the first web browser.

Already mentioned above, WorldWideWeb became the pioneer of web browsers. During 1993, one of the first graphical browsers was added to the list of browsers. This was the NCSA Mosaic, and its release prompted a surge of web use.

Netscape Navigator – an offshoot of Mosaic (Netscape Navigator was created by the head of the Mosaic team from NCSA) – made its appearance in 1994. Among the list of browsers during that year, Netscape Navigator garnered the lion’s share of web usage.

Start of browser wars

Not to be outdone by Netscape, Microsoft released its web browser called Internet Explorer in 1995. This release eventually started the browser wars. Taking advantage of its lead in the OS market, Microsoft started selling Windows packaged with Internet Explorer.

To combat Microsoft’s dominance in the browser industry, Netscape created the Mozilla Foundation in 1998.

This was done in the hopes of manufacturing a browser which would take advantage of the open source model.

Eventually, this project would lead to the birth of Firefox. It would take six years before the first commercial version of this browser, named Firefox 1.0, made its first appearance in the list of browsers. According to statistics collated as late as February of 2009, Firefox accounts for 21.77% share of browser usage.

The underdogs of the market

1996 saw the debut of Opera in the list of browsers. Despite it not garnering extensive use, it has remained as a powerhouse in terms of shares in the mobile phone browser industry. The video game console, Nintendo Wii, also comes embedded with Opera.

Apple joined the web browser market in 2003, with its beta release of Safari. Predictably, this web browser has enjoyed success in the Apple-based browsing community.

These are but a few – albeit, some of the more successful few – web browsers which has appeared since its launch in 1991. For sure, with the constant influx of new thoughts and ideas on how to improve this useful software, the evolution of web browsers will continue.

What Are Browser Games And Why You Have To Try Them

explorercomp — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:56:37 +0000

Article by Donce Kebabas

Browser based games are games that do not require any kind of downloads. What you need to have is internet connection and web browser. Browser based games are fun to play. They work on all types of computers and they do not require any high specifications. You can play them as long as your PC runs web browsers.

Why would you play browser based games? They are fun, most of them are interactive games which means that you will have to communicate with other people. In communication, I mean by dealing or trading with others, killing them or even chatting with them in chat rooms or forums. It is a great way to kill your time.

There are a few different types of games you can choose to play. Most common games are Role Playing Games (RPG) where you take a role of one character (in some games, you can control a several characters) and you build him/her stronger. Basically, you train and level up and increase their statistics and powers. The other one is strategy games. They are really fun as you can control the whole army and send them to war or you can grow plants and take care of your garden. There are plenty of sub-categories for this one. There are many other types of games but it would be too long and boring to read. I prefer classical RPGs where you kill/slay monsters and gain experience. There are plenty of them though most of them use the same script which was played and done many times. It is a bit harder to find unique games to play.

The other important thing about these kind of games is to know whether you want a low time consuming game or time consuming game. Low time consuming games won’t consume much time as you probably need to play like ten to one hour per day and you still can compete with other people. Some of them are boring while most of them are not boring though you can play a few games at the time. Unlike time consuming games, you have to spend hours and hours if you want to compete with champion or top players. In my opinion, time consuming games really eat your time and nerves as you have to choose one or two games between hundreds of them. They also become boring as you keep playing unlike low time consuming browser based games. You do not sit there hours to level up or complete the quest, you simply spend your energy and go away.

In conclusion, I must say that browser based games are really good and fun games if you do not play a game hours and hours as it gets bored unless it is really good and long game. However, really long games most likely are playable with paid subscription which costs money. If you do not want to spend money or time on fun games, look for low time consuming browser based games. There are plenty of them.

Sogou browser promot twice a month

explorercomp — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:55:46 +0000

Today’s domestic browser market seems to be particularly prosperity. Chrome, firefox, IE, 360, sogou, roam…… A browser, and read the name, you find it hard to believe that just a few years ago, the domestic browser market was IE monopoly. Should say, in the beginning of the browser for, in addition to the IE ahead outside, other browser products, whether to navigate, Chrome, firefox, or 360, sogou, tencent TT, are at the same starting line, and who can stand out, all by their technology in the future. Several years later, the domestic browser market has undergone earth-shaking changes. First of all, IE dominant market position is being a little bit, from complete collapse monopoly dropped to 60% market share; Secondly, surfing and tencent TT constantly slide; Third, 360 safety browser and sogou high-speed browser two of promising young, broke the followers of the rise of the situation, and formed distinct second legion. The second army stands out why? This first due to their strong technical support. At the current users of the popular welcome sogou high-speed browser version 3.0, for example, it can be opened/closed at any time the accelerated mode, which can greatly improve netcom, telecommunications and education net net visits between three for speed; The death of the first FangJia technology, to achieve the collapse in a page error or lost responded to the page will not affect other browse; The Webkit and IE fusion system, ensure the dual-core in compatibility again at the same time up web browsing speed; The speeds protection function that he or local area network in the use of any other people download tools download files to their normal speeds can still browse web pages. In sogou high-speed browser 3.0 launch soon after the industry, comments that sogou high-speed web browser’s “accelerated” category is like a strong crossbow, qin will help sogou get advantage of backwardness, beyond the front rivals. The fact it to. August 2011 domestic browser market, ranking of IE browser market share and utilization rate dropped to 61.92% and 61.27% respectively, sogou high-speed browser market share and utilization rate rose to 6.12% and 6.38% respectively, both gap narrowed. At the same time, firefox, Safari, tencent TT, traveling, the window of the world, opera and the third camp songs. Although abundant, but sogou gains high speed browser or further speed up the pace of the technology upgrades, on August 10 in early September less than a month time sogou high speed, the browser will have Chrome12 and Chrome14 kernel upgrade, realize dozens of new kernel function characteristics of the smooth, transplantation, make sogou high-speed browser performance a substantial improvement, part performance parameters have several times, this means that users can ascend in use process can directly feel browser change. In fact, sogou high-speed browser has become the domestic browser kernel version of the highest browser products, it is the domestic fastest and most security, one of the most convenient browser, in Chinese users won a group of supporters. The ancients cloud: all the half, the whole long will points, FenJiuBiGe, which do not flee monopoly, competition, shuffle, the integration of the law of development. If the 3.0 version of the release, but further narrowing the sogou high-speed browser and IE gap, but a month, the two upgrade enough to change the pattern of the browser market, in IE, prevailing in the third camp to weak, the Internet has become the entrance for three of the war, and in the new three battle against, who will win, still remain market inspection.

What is the Browser?

explorercomp — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:56:55 +0000

With the fast pace of technology, much has changed in the lifestyle of the people around the world. With the development of the internet, data exchange has been very easy for many people. And when browsers have been discovered, navigation from one data to another has become much easier for anyone. The Browser A browser is a mere software application that is used for sending and receiving information across a network of computers. This means that not only is a browser able to connect one computer to the web, it is also allows data exchange among two or more computers that are connected by a network. History The browser is one of the newest inventions of today. With its foundation laid only during the 80s, browsers only started to take on the lives of the people on 1993 when Marc Andreessen and his team developed the NCSA Mosaic Web Browser. In 1995, Microsoft followed the fad and developed Internet Explorer, starting the competition of the web browsers in the world.Webdesign Soon, many web browsers sprouted—such as Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari—giving many options for internet users across the globe.

How it Works Browsers work on a language called HyperText Markup Language (HTML), which allows various types of files to be seen on one web page. That’s right! Before web browsers, the internet proves to be a very boring place where text files could not be mixed with music or photos. But now, all one needs to do is enter a URL or click on a link in the Bookmarks or Favorites, and the corresponding web page would then automatically be displayed on the monitor. Computer This is because these URLs represent a certain address in the worldwide web and the internet connection allows one’s computer to reach into these data that are actually stored in some computer that might actually be miles away from the user. Other Functions As time goes by, much development has already occurred on the use of the browser. Different browsers now have different functions, making them perfect depending on what the user wants to accomplish. There are browsers that are perfect for email while there are some that are great for Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Nonetheless, all browsers are great in navigating the web and retrieving basic data and web pages. Most are also allow multi-tasking, letting one retrieve two or more web pages all at the same time through different tabs.

The browser open the market application war

explorercomp — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:56:15 +0000

Recently, the biggest domestic browser vendors under 360 launch safety browser open platform, and application in the latest announcement “360 ° open plan”. So far, 360 all the browser product application platform has already been fully open, will the browser market competition from simple entry in the struggle for control of the user needs to upgrade to the basis of application war.

According to introducing, in the latest release of 360 safety browser version, 3.9 beta Co. has the “360 previous practical tools” upgrade to the “application” and online application box open platform, to a third party developers open apis interface.

Graph: the 360 security browser open platform to third party developers open apis interface

360 said that at present the relevant person in charge of 360 safety platform already running browser sina micro bo, mail the watercress, share, radio and other active 10 million level of volume popular applications, video, game, has covered the net buys, net silver, social, and other fields. The data show that 360 safety browser quarter to 192 million active monthly users, the user permeability reached 48%. The platform will doubt to be the largest browser application platform.

At the same time, domestic browser sogou and restricted in expanding the browser applications also try, sogou in its browser toolbox collected dozens of money has followed suit based software applications. Into the launch “fast application” at the same time, and note PAD and mobile phone terminal version, also in pursuit of the rich diversity application.

A browser on the application to “stick” a user’s browser on the race began. 360 the company President JiXiangDong said, “now, the browser in safety, quick characteristics is the most basic request, has now can’t meet user requirements of the diversified. The browser to tilt the application is user needs to promote results.”

Also, the trend in the international market is get fulfilled browser. According to the American Internet traffic monitoring institutions asp.net is a marketing method data shows, in May 2011, Microsoft IE browser global market share reached a new low, from April of 55.11% to 54.27% to. And Google Chrome browser global market share growth of 0.58%, kept growing. Firefox Firefox browser market share a slightly increased.

Google Chrome browser and firefox browser are to open and rich application the widespread praised. Google in December last year, the first to launch the Chrome browser Chrome Web based on Microsoft. Firefox browser in their own rich on the basis of application, also plans to release application store.

The change of international the browser market just goes to the browser vendors “isolation” is the back garden of the era into decline. Based on the application of digitalizing has become the international trend. To this, JiXiangDong said, users can not belongs to a company, any attempt to through the browser to lock user practices are won’t work. Through the browser’s Bridges, better close users and the distance from the content may be the right choice.

With 360 browser platform opening up, rich applications will gradually become a new competition threshold.

“Browser hijacking”

explorercomp — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:55:10 +0000

“Browser hijacking” is a popular point of deliberately misleading the browser that the route of a phenomenon, common browser hijacking phenomenon: the normal website visit is turned into a malicious Web page, the URL when the input error was to hijack software specified site, enter characters seriously slow down the speed of the browser, IE browser homepage / search page, etc. specified by the software was modified to hijack the website address, automatically add a site to “trusted sites”, inadvertently prompted to install plug-ins (such as Figure 1), favorites are automatically repeated to add links to other malicious sites, many users suffer. So, how this phenomenon is caused by it? And how to prevent users respond to it? This is to introduce the contents of the article??Browser hijacking (Browser Hijack) is a malicious software, personal computer by a malicious user to modify the browser’s default settings, to guide the user login is not the users of its intention to modify or to browse the web. Most browser hijackers are when a user visits their site, by modifying the browser’s default home page or search results page, to achieve the purpose of hijacking users browser. These vectors can be directly parasitic on the browser module, as part of the browser, and then directly manipulate the browser’s behavior. “Browser hijacking” very serious consequences, the user only being hijacked until after the abnormal conditions; Currently, browser hijackers, has become one of the greatest threats to Internet users.??”Browser hijacking” of the attacks can be recognized by the system of “legal means” to carry out. The so-called “legal means”, that is the initiator of most of browser hijacking, through a condition known as “BHO” (Browser Helper Object, Browser Helper Objects) and technical means to implant the system. The BHO is Microsoft launched in 1999 as a browser open to third-party programmers to interact with industry-standard interface, which allows programmers to use a simple code into the browser field “interactive interface”, due to the interaction BHO features, programmers can also use code to control the behavior of the browser, such as common modifications replace the browser toolbar, the browser interface to add their own program buttons and other operations, these operations are system recognizes as “legitimate”, which is the “browser hijacking” the root of the existence of the phenomenon.

A review of Mozilla Firefox

explorercomp — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:17:06 +0000

Set aside a second and think how life will be using a car devoid of tires. You’ll be rendered immobile completely. That is the exact thing that is with a web browser. Without one, you can’t have the ability to search or browse anything on the web; you can’t have the ability to view any webpage, or basically do anything on the cyberspace. If you are like lots of people, most probably you are using Internet Explorer, the default web browser that comes with Windows. Lots of people settle for less and continue employing this web browser without knowing that they can obtain a better and improved web browser for free… yes the Mozilla Firefox free download.

As is with other things these days , there’s a multitude of web browsers to select from, but the Mozilla Firefox software seems to be taking the world by storm, thanks to the many user-friendly features and the ease of accessibility that the web browser has become. Needless to mention, as the name indicates, this is a free web browser for all to use and has significantly gained in popularity among web-developers and internet administrators.

As mentioned, Mozilla Firefox incorporates so many amazing features, features that makes this web browser unique from the rest with the likes of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Listed here are some of the many features you can rest assured you will get when you choose this user-friendly Mozilla Firefox.

Particularly, Mozilla Firefox supports all web standards, at least the basics such as XML, XHTML, HTML, CCS, DOM, SVG, XSLT, JavaScript, XPath, and MathML among many more. To many, especially web-site designers and web developers, this is good news as they can be able to customize the browser to their needs. Also accompanying your Mozilla Firefox is the ability to use a profile or whatever platform you select since a similar profile format is maintained irrespective of the platform. What this consequently means is that whether you’ve stored your profile on the FAT23 division or on an NTFS via FUSE, you may rest assured you’ll access it whether you are utilizing a USB flash drive, Windows, or Linux. This feature of the Mozilla Firefox also comes as good news to people with the practice of dual-booting their computers.

Whoever said the very best things in life are free was probably thinking of Mozilla Firefox because despite the fact that it is free of charge, it doesn’t disappoint security wise. A lot of security features happen to be integrated to assure users of the highest level of safety they’ll ever require online. Notable safety measures include a phishing detector, sandbox security model, external protocol whitelisting, same origin policy, and capability to clear private data like browser history and cookies. Further, Mozilla is an open source software meaning the source code is obtainable for all to see giving you the opportunity to review your source code if you’re having security threats, whether legitimate or not.

Mozilla’s Firefox 4 may still be fresh from the oven and cooling on millions of users’ computers

explorercomp — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:10:06 +0000

Mozilla’s Firefox 4 may still be fresh from the oven and cooling on millions of users’ computers, but Mozilla has already set an aggressive schedule with specific dates for the release of the open source browser’s upcoming versions.Indeed, making good on the promise back in February that it was planning to step up the pace of its browser releases, Mozilla has now made plain that it plans to ship the final release of Firefox 5 on June 21, likely followed by Firefox 6 in mid-August.

Beginning with Firefox 6, in fact, Mozilla will adopt a standard, overlapping 18-week schedule by which each new version spends six weeks in each of three different stages: the “central” or “nightly” phase, which is “just like the current repository,” Mozilla notes; the “aurora” phase, where work done previously is stabilized; and then the beta phase, in which any remaining issues are fixed. A draft outline is posted on Mozilla’s site.

‘Releases Are Not Delayed’

Whereas previous Firefox releases have taken many months to develop, Mozilla’s new timetable will impose a much stricter schedule that’s akin to the one Google follows for its own Chrome competitor.

“Each release happens regardless of whether a given feature is ready, and releases are not delayed to wait for a feature to stabilize,” Mozilla explains in a separate draft document. “The goal of the process is to provide regular improvements to users without disrupting longer term work.”

According to Mozilla’s schedule, Firefox 5 will enter the aurora phase on Tuesday. At the same time, Firefox 6 will enter its central, or nightly, phase.

Mozilla has launched Program to Reward Information Security Experts for Discovering Vulnerabilities

explorercomp — Sun, 01 May 2011 12:04:45 +0000

Software developers and vendors of security products are faced with the challenge of developing secured products. However, it is difficult to anticipate and identify all vulnerabilities in advance. On the other hand, hackers always find ways to identify and exploit vulnerabilities, which results in security breaches. As such, computer security professionals are always under pressure to release security updates for vulnerabilities. In order to encourage information security to pre-empt hackers in identifying vulnerabilities, Mozilla foundation had initiated rewards program titled Bug Bounty Program. Mozilla follows Google, which had initiated a similar program a few months earlier.

Under the program, Mozilla foundation will pay cash prizes to researchers for identifying security holes in Mozilla’s web applications. The foundation will dole out at least 0 for identifying high risk vulnerabilities. Mozilla will pay up to ,000 to computer security professionals on revelation of highly critical vulnerabilities.

Usually, security professionals use ethical hacking practices to detect and mitigate vulnerabilities. The Bug Bounty Program encourages security professionals to identify the lapses in the source code, vulnerabilities related to authentication and session management. Mozilla cautions security experts against using automated tools as they may lead to disruption of services.

The reward programs by software developers aims at ensuring Internet security and timely availability of security updates.

The web applications, which are eligible for the bug bounty program include mozilla.com/org, getfirefox.com, addons.mozilla.org, download.mozilla.org, getpersonas.com, firefox.com, bugzilla.mozilla.org, versioncheck.addons.mozilla.org and aus*.mozilla.org.Vulnerabilities in web applications may lead to malicious attacks such as SQL injection attacks, iFrame injection attacks, cross-site scripting attack, phishing and brute force attacks among many others. Timely security updates are crucial to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities by hackers. Hackers may gain unauthorized access, breach databases, gain remote access and disrupt web application services.

Identification of vulnerabilities by security professionals may help software developers to mitigate the vulnerabilities and to provide secured web browsing experience to end-users.