Note: To view how to disable JavaScript in your e-mail see below.

You have all the "bells and whistles," every security program available, yet you still have problems with infections while surfing the Internet! Any tech or computer geek can tell you, "Your security settings are set too low" on your computer and on your browser. Below you will find links to reputeable websites providing tips and advice on how to set security settings that will help you.

Another thing that compromises the security of your computer is you, your surfing habits, and how you handle email. Think about what sites you go to and why? Websites can load scripts, via ActiveX (for example) in Internet Explorer, just by opening the page! Kind of hard to avoid, is it not? Not if you have it disabled or set to prompt in your IE Security Settings. Same for Java scripts. Those scripts could be anything at all, most likely nasty. It may be annoying to have to make decisions while you surf about what you want or do not want. Far more annoying is dealing with the nasty thing that grows in your system like a fungus. Absolutely avoid the "darksides" of the Internet. They are rife with troubles.

I use a simple 3-step system for all my email. (This is provided as one example of how you might do it.) I have email addresses set up as follows:

1. ISP email is personal and private - only people I fully trust on/or offline get this address. No one else, not ever. Be sure too that they understand that they cannot give anyone your address! (This alone will help you to stay on good-terms with those closest to you.) Set your spam and privacy rules to "extreme." Send and receive only in plaintext. HTML can send applets/scripts embedded in the body of the email.

2. Free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail) for online friends, associates and colleagues only. Set them up any way you like with an eye to reducing your spam. (I found a way to end spam from Yahoo. They send stuff to you via your Bulk mail folder. You cannot delete this folder. But, you can send it's contents to the Trash Bin with a filter! The Email Filters are quite simple to setup.)

3. Free email accounts for junk mail. These addresses are given out freely to "any and all." However, again set the privacy and spam settings to "extreme," receiving in plaintext. Plaintext is not much fun (no flashy stuff, no pics), but it avoids so much misery. You do not send from these addresses to people you know and like. These ones are just for strangers or corporations. If you get unsolicited emails, just delete/trash them. Do not open them. If you do not know who it's from, why take chances? Curiousity will get you a virus unless you have an antivirus which scans every active file on your computer.

I wish you all well with your computer security.


Here are some links to articles and tutorials to help you:

Larrys Security Articles Archive

Robins Security Articles Archive

Ians Security Articles Archive


Securing Yourself & Your Computer

Tweaks and Tricks for Security and Privacy

Safe Internet Explorer Settings

Browser Security Settings Stop annoying popup/popunder ads!

Educational: Home Computer Security What you need to know.

Computer Cops: How Secure Are You?


How To Disable JavaScript and ActiveX In Your E-mail Software

In addition to applying necessary security patches to Internet
Explorer, Outlook and Outlook Express on a regular basis, you
should "harden" your email software by disabling the capability
of scripts and other programs to run automatically.

How to disable Java in Netscape 6.x for E-mail

1. Double-click the Netscape 6 icon.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
3. Select Advanced in the Category list.
4. Uncheck the box next to Enable JavaScript for Mail and News.
5. Click the OK button.

Outlook and Outlook Express

Set the Restricted Sites security zone to disable all ActiveX and
Java. Do this from Internet Explorer by selecting the following menu items:

Tools | Internet Options | Security | Restricted Sites | Custom Level

NOTE: Just setting the restrictions to High will not work. If you are
unable to follow this step, it may be a good idea to ask an experienced
friend for assistance.

Basically, you need to set everything that says ActiveX, Java,
Download, Install and Launch to "Disable".

After making the necessary changes to the Restricted Zone, you will
need to add Outlook or Outlook Express to the Restricted Zone by
doing the following:

Open Outlook Express or Outlook (if not already open)
On the menu, click Tools | Options | Security
Then, simply select the "Restricted Zone."

Mozilla

It is fairly simple to enable and disable Java. From the Edit menu item choose Preferences. Then click on the Advanced category to see the Advanced Preferences window. There is a checkbox for enabling Java. (Note: that this checkbox appears when you click on "Advanced" not on any of the sub-topics under Advanced.)



Best regards

_________________

Microsoft MVP Consumer Security 2006, 2007 & 2008