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Course: Internet safety > Unit 1
Lesson 4: Ask Google: How can I be sure I’m surfing the web safely?Does it really matter what browser I chose?
What makes a browser more - or less - secure?
To learn more about how you can keep yourself safe while on the Internet, visit: internet-safety.khanacademy.org. Created by Sal Khan.
Want to join the conversation?
I'm using Microsoft right now, does anyone know if its secure?(9 votes)
It is, Microsoft, Firefox, Safari and Chrome are safe. It also just depends on what you do with it. I used Chrome and downloaded a sound effect and got a virus. Chrome helped block it. But there is no browser that blocks your virus downloads. But they do try to let you know. It always depends on the person.(6 votes)
A browser is the application you use to access the internet (such as chrome, safari, Firefox, and edge.)(10 votes)
what's the best way you can keep your browser safe(2 votes)- The best way to keep your browser safe is as easy as being wise. Don't click on ANYTHING that seems illegal, suspicious, gives offers that are too good to be true, ask for excessive information (such as your payment history or social security number), or is known to be unsafe. Extensions such as Ublock Origin, Go Guardian, and other ad blockers help you with this. Also, browsers such as Google have settings that you can activate so that they warn you when your connection is not secure.(2 votes)
- how do i know that my browser has the best security?(2 votes)
You can always do some research yourself online. If you want to self-evaluate, though, you can check if your browser is up to date and if you installed the latest anti-virus software. Many people forget to do so for years out of sheer laziness until they get hacked themselves. Most browsers nowadays have built-in security features that prevent you from accessing sketchy websites, but you should check all browser settings to make sure they are how you want them to be. Be sure to look over the cookie preferences, too.(2 votes)
- What does a browser(1 vote)
What does that mean??(4 votes)
What does browser mean?(2 votes)
"A computer program with a graphical user interface for displaying and navigating between web pages."(1 vote)
Haha! Offering malware and Spyware protection! I might cry!😅(0 votes)
Video transcript
- So Kelly, we have
several different options on what type of browser we use. Does it matter from a safety
and privacy point of view? - Yeah, there are a
couple factors that you might wanna think about that make a browser potentially safer. So one thing that's
important is how frequently the browser updates and
ideally automatically updates. So attackers are constantly
looking for gaps and holes where they can press their advantage. And browser manufacturers
should be looking to close those gaps and protect your computer by releasing updates with
security updates in them. Another thing you might
wanna consider is what built in security protections your browser has. So browsers like Chrome, use
my team service safe browsing to offer malware, phishing,
unwanted software protections. And so that's basically
your first line of defense. We'll be looking out for
you to see if there is a dangerous site and warn
you about it so you have that before it even touches your computer. There are also other things
like Chrome has protections against dangerous extensions
that are offered, as well as things like feature
that looks for passwords that might have been
leaked, so you know that you can update your password. So thinking about what does
your browser offer in terms of built in security protections
can be an important role as well.
- Super useful.