What are good browsing habits?

The internet is one source where your computer becomes vulnerable to viruses and spyware. So it is not just enough if you have your anti-virus software installed on your system. To protect yourself while you are surfing the internet, it is a good idea to develop some good browsing habits. Here are some of the things you should do to safeguard your network and your computer:

• Pay attention to what you download or run. Try to download material only from websites you feel can be trusted.
• Don’t open e-mails from people you do not know.
• Never open attachments in strange messages or formats from people you do not know.
• Always log out of your e-mail programs instead of just closing your browser.
• Clear your history files (like cookies, internet history and temporary files, etc.), logs and personal files
• Remember to backup your files periodically.
• Disable your internet connection whenever you do not need it.
• Use a spam filtering system in your e-mail account to take care of any harmful e-mail that may come in.
• Use a spyware filtering program to block spyware.
• Create a separate e-mail account for operations prone to problems like mailing lists and registering on web sites. Get a separate email account for personal email.
• Keep updating your system to the latest security patches introduced by Windows.
• Password-protect your work especially when other people have access to your computer.
• Enable firewalls to safeguard your system.
• Use secure Web browser settings. In your Internet explorer go to Tools and click on Internet options. On the Security tab you can enable the level of security you desire.
• Avoid using public computers for anything you need to type in your logins, they usually have Trojan horses that capture your passwords.