Jake Ludington's Digital Lifestyle

"After dealing with a recent computer virus, I want to make my computer more secure. It seems like most of the trouble comes through my browser, so what is the most secure Web browser I can install to protect my computer?"

The most secure web browser you can use is the one that never connects to the Internet. ;) More seriously, there's a certain amount of risk with using any Web browser and while there is a huge amount of debate around the topic, all the popular browsers are fairly equally secure, but there are things you can do to improve your safety.

Use secure SSL connections whenever possible
Using HTTPS connections to sign in to websites makes the connection between your browser and the site secure, which means you aren't accidentally sharing your password with other Internet users.

Put a password on your saved passwords
Most browsers offer you the option of saving username and password information. This convenient feature is a handy way for other people and malicious software to gain access to your accounts. If your browser offers the option to secure these passwords with a master password, as Firefox does, use that option to secure your passwords. A better option would be to use a separate password manager with built-in encryption, which also allows you to manage passwords no matter what browser you are using.

Think before you click
One thing no browser can protect you from is a bad choice. Many security risks are created by not thinking before you click. Look at a link before you click on it, check to see if the destination is a site you've heard of. This frequently applies to links sent to your email address, which claim to be for one site but really take you somewhere malicious. If something doesn't seem quite right, it probably isn't.