Learning About Internet Security

Updating Your Web Browser

One of your best methods of ensuring Internet security is by making sure that you keep up to date with the latest versions of your web browser. This does not, however, mean that you need to download and install every version that comes along. You should choose to download a newer version when there have been enhancements to the security encryption features or when there are improvements in the parental control feature.

Always be wary of Preview or Beta versions of web browsers. Most of the time these will be incomplete versions or will have disabled features that are still having the wrinkles worked out. These versions are offered for two reasons. First, because the developer will be trying to get feedback about what users think of the new features they are testing. Secondly, to try and find out about problems that occur when the web browser is installed on a wider variety of machines than they have available for them to conduct testing on. That is why most of these versions also include a disclaimer telling you that there is no technical support available for that version.

Be sure to choose the correct version of web browser before you download. Look over the various choices and then download the strongest security version possible. You should also check to see if you are choosing the Apple or PC version, as well as the correct language.

Backup your information before beginning the installation. This means both your normal system backup onto diskettes, tapes, or data disks, as well as your connection configuration information in case you are prompted for this information during the installation. Fortunately, most web browser updates will keep your current settings and often your list of favorite web sites.

If you have decided to keep your existing version of web browser, you will need to make sure that you have sufficient disk space for a new installation. This could be a moot point, since many installation programs nowadays check to see if there is enough available disk space before making the attempt.

Some web browser manufacturers now offer the ability to perform the update to your web browser by using an online reconciliation process. Your existing web browser is inspected and analyzed to determine the correct upgrade to apply before beginning to automatically perform the update for you. A well-known example of this is Netscape's "SmartUpdate" feature.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you that before updating any computers that are connected to your company's network, be sure to check with your computer department first. They will usually want to perform some preliminary testing before letting you do something that could potentially be harmful to the rest of the network.

By Steve Duell
ASIS SFBA Webmaster