... Website Security & Filtering ... Following is from the Newbie Club which I highly recommend to my readers who might feel a bit intimidated by this monstrous computer and the internet that it gives access to. You can join it at ... Newbie Club ... now let's look into website security:
Website Security Part 1 ...'You're In Control'
How do know a if webpage is really safe to view?
Do you know how to recognize a secure site when making a credit card purchase? Does your browser understand security? I'll share some real world tips gleaned from real life experience on the web.
You are completely in control of your internet experience.
I only mention this because Newbies often don't know that all they have to do is close their browser and "that's it". Show's over. There' no residual lurking about, nothing sinister that can happen while you're not looking.
If you ever feel that you're about to encounter a web page or site that isn't setting well with you, then just close your browser. That may seem a little drastic to more seasoned users, but it works. And it's guaranteed to give you fresh start.
You can stop a page from loading in your browser in mid-stream.
All you do is click the stop button. It's the red circle around the "X" and it'll stop the page from loading. Sometimes, on real slow loading pages, clicking this button will cause the browser to display whatever it happened to be saving up in its cache, but hadn't yet displayed since the full page of info wasn't completed downloaded from the server.
There's no way for anyone on the web to know who you are unless you tell them. So if you don't give out information about your identity, it remains a secret.
Website Security Part 2 ... 'Cookies are Nice'
Like a lot of misinformation on the interet, there's a lot of misunderstanding about 'Cookies'.
Cookies won't hurt you unless you eat too many.
A cookie is just a little text file that contains information. This information is read by a program on a website, and IF it contains your name, then your name may be displayed when you visit.
Some sites do this to make things more personal. Others use cookies to store your preferences, such as displaying a weather map for your region.
For instance, each time I visit Amazon.com I am recognized and my name is displayed. If I order something, my personal information inputted, on the previous purchase is automatically displayed for me, to save me having to do it again.
When you become a Newbie Club member, you give your first name and email address and a tiny cookie is created. When you return, the cookie tells our software who you are and lets you in without having to type in your password. At least most of the time :-)
Techie speak lingo for use of cookies is that cookies are used to preserve state. That means selections you've made on a web page are remembered, so they can be referred to on other pages you visit within a site.
Website Security Part 3 ... 'Humpty Dumpty'
Maybe you've heard the term, "128 bit encryption." Maybe not. In any case, this is required by some sites, particularly online banks, and it's very strong. The internet Explorer version that comes with Windows uses encryption.
Let me warm things up a bit and put you at ease.
Encryption is simply a means of taking what is understood by mere humans, and mixing it up so it's not understood. This scrambling can only be undone by a device that understands the confusion, and puts it back together again.
Remember the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty? In case not, here it is: "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the kings horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again."
Let's assume Humpty Dumpty was an egg.
Well, the king's men couldn't put him together because they didn't have the right tools. You can think of encryption as breaking the egg. 128 bit encryption is putting the egg into a blender and turning it to liquid, shell and all.
Only difference is we're dealing with numbers and not eggs on the internet. Numbers are encrypted and sent on their journey to a destination where they are put "back together again."
With each new Windows release, a number of security holes soon become evident. Microsoft has admirably scrambled its resources (not in the egg sense of course) and prepared fixes for the flaws. These are called Security Upgrades, and should be considered useful upgrades. That's why you take advantage of the Windows Upgrade option on your PC.
Filtering software is one of the most popular ways to keep children safe and employees out of mischief on the internet. By carefully listening to everything that comes and goes across a computer's internet connection, a filter can intercept and prevent the transmission or receipt of questionable materials - such as profane words, provocative images, and politically incorrect language. Several filtering programs are available on the internet and these are all (at least) fairly good at what they do. Here are some of the more popular packages for you to consider: This way is back to ... Tips 'n Tricks Menus ... next line for exit. Found something worthwhile? Why not drop a line and let me know?
... what? everything's working?
Here we'll return to ... Navigator ... that's bon voyage.