CompTIA A_ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition - Michael Meyers [448]
Figure 25-33 Specifying the proxy server address
Security and Scripts While we’re on the subject of configuration, make sure you know how to adjust the security settings in your Web browser. Many Web sites come with programs that download to your system and run automatically. These programs are written in specialized languages and file formats such as Java and Active Server Pages (ASP). They make modern Web sites powerful and dynamic, but they can also act as a portal to evil programs. To help with security, all better Web browsers let you determine whether you want these potentially risky programs to run. What you decide depends on personal factors. If your Web browser refuses to run a Java program (you’ll know because you’ll get a warning message, as in Figure 25-34), check your security settings because your browser may simply be following orders! To get to the security configuration screen in Internet Explorer, choose Tools | Internet Options and open the Security tab (Figure 25-35).
Internet Explorer gives you the option of selecting preset security levels by clicking the Custom level button on the Security tab and then using the pull-down menu (Figure 25-36). Changing from Medium to High security, for example, makes changes across the board, disabling everything from ActiveX to Java. You can also manually select which features to enable or disable in the scrolling menu, also visible in Figure 25-36.
Security doesn’t stop with programs. Another big security concern relates to Internet commerce. People don’t like to enter credit card information, home phone numbers, or other personal information for fear this information might be intercepted by hackers. Fortunately, there are methods for encrypting this information, the most common being Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). Although HTTPS looks a lot like HTTP from the point of view of a Web browser, HTTPS uses port 443. It’s easy to tell if a Web site is using HTTPS because the Web address starts with HTTPS, as shown in Figure 25-37, instead of just HTTP. The Web browser also displays a lock symbol in the lower-right corner to remind you that you’re using an encrypted connection.
Figure 25-34 Warning message about running ActiveX
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NOTE Depending on the Web site and your Web browser, you might also see a lock in the address bar or even different colors appearing on the address bar when accessing an HTTPS site. While these extras may vary from site to site and browser to browser, you can always count on seeing the lock in the bottom right-hand corner and the HTTPS in the address.
There’s one security risk that no computer can completely defend against: you. In particular, be very careful when downloading programs from the Internet. The Internet makes it easy to download programs that you can then install and run on your system. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with this unless the program you download has a virus, is corrupted, contains a Trojan horse, or is incompatible with your operating system. The watchword here is common sense. Only download programs from reliable sources. Take time to read the online documentation so you’re sure you’re downloading a version of the program that works on your operating system. Finally, always run a good antivirus program, preferably one that checks incoming programs for viruses before you install them! Failure to do this can lead to lockups, file corruption, and boot problems that you simply should not have to deal with.
Figure 25-35 The Security tab in the Internet Options dialog box
Figure 25-36 Changing security