Improve the safety of your browsing and e-mail activities

Malicious hackers and virus writers can infect your computer by taking advantage of low security settings in your e-mail and Web browsing software. They can do this by sending you a malicious e-mail message or by enticing you to visit a malicious Web site.

You can help limit your chances of being attacked by increasing your security settings. Here are four steps you can do right now to help increase your security.
1: Set your browser security to High


To raise the browsing security level in Internet Explorer:
1.
On the Internet Explorer Tools menu, click Internet Options.

2.
In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Security tab, and then click the Internet icon.

3.
Under Security level for this zone, move the slider to High. This sets the security level for all Web sites you visit to High. (If no slider is visible, click the Default Level button and then move the slider to High.)

Note Setting the level to High may cause some Web sites to work incorrectly. If you have difficulty using a Web site after you change this setting and you are sure the site is safe to use, you can add that site to your list of trusted sites. This will allow the site to work correctly even with the High security setting.
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2: Add safe Web sites to trusted sites

Designating a Web site as trusted allows the site to work correctly under the High security setting.

Microsoft strongly recommends that the first Web site you add to your trusted sites be Microsoft Update (http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/) so that you can continue to install important software updates directly from the Microsoft Update Web site.

To add a Web site to your list of trusted sites:
1.
On the Internet Explorer Tools menu, click Internet Options.

2.
In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Security tab.

3.
Click the Trusted sites icon, and then click the Sites button.

4.
In the Trusted sites dialog box, enter the Web site URL in the Add this Web site to the zone box, and then click Add.

The Trusted sites feature allows you to restrict trust to only sites that begin with https:. To include sites that begin with http:, including Microsoft Update, clear the Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone checkbox.

Trusted site added. We recommend that you make Microsoft Update the first site you add.

5.
Click OK.

6.
Under Security level for this zone, move the slider to Medium. This sets the security level for all of the sites that you trust to Medium. (If no slider is visible, click the Default Level button and then move the slider up to Medium.)

3: Read e-mail messages in plain text

To help increase your e-mail security, set your e-mail program to read all messages you receive as plain text.

To read messages in plain text in Microsoft Outlook Express:
1.
From the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Options.

2.
In the Options dialog box, click the Read tab.

3.
Select the Read all messages in plain text checkbox.

4.
Click OK.

To read messages in plain text in Microsoft Outlook 2003:
1.
On the Outlook Tools menu, click Options.

2.
In the Options dialog box, click the Preferences tab, and then click the E-mail Options button.

3.
In the E-mail Options dialog box, select the Read all standard mail in plain text checkbox.

4.
Click OK to close the E-mail Options dialog box, and then click OK to close the Options dialog box.

To read messages in plain text in Microsoft Outlook 2002:

To read messages in plain text, you have to modify the registry. For instructions, see

Knowledge Base article KB307594, “Description of a new feature that users can use to read non-digitally-signed e-mail or nonencrypted e-mail as plain text in Office XP SP-1.”

Important Always back up the registry before modifying it, and understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. Do not modify the registry unless you are confident you can recover from unintended mistakes.
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4: Block pop-up windows in your browser

A pop-up blocker is a utility that prevents small additional windows from opening when you visit Web pages. Some Web sites use these small windows to display helpful information, but many pop-up windows contain advertisements or offensive content.

Malicious attackers also may use pop-up windows disguised as special offers to install malicious code on your computer.

Windows XP SP2 users can take advantage of the Pop-up Blocker built into Internet Explorer.