Tip #4393 - Updated Browser Test
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Q:
Is there any way I can check my Web browser for security? I'm just
interested in knowing where it stands. Thanks for any advice you can
give me!
A:
That's an excellent question and I commend you
for asking! Most of us use a Web browser on a daily basis and if you
think about it, all of our security is wrapped up in it. I mean, we
use our browser to do all sorts of things, like shop online, play
games, sign up for contests, create profiles, read newsletters and
so on and so forth. No matter what we're doing, our personal information
is making its way onto the Web. These days, we do it without even
thinking. We give out our e-mail address to sign up for that daily
newsletter, we type in our credit card number to win that eBay auction,
we give out our age for that profile on MySpace, etc., etc.
All
of those things are so common to do in this day and age, but we seldom
stop and think about the risks we're taking by doing so. And since
all of that is done through our Web browser, it's pertinent to know
how secure it really is. If you recall, awhile back, we ran a download
for a program called Scanit (you can read the original article here
if you'd like). Well, since then, the Scanit company has updated their
browser security test and that's exactly what I'm going to tell you
all about today!
If
you've used Scanit before, you're definitely going to want to check
out the update, because it is ten times better than before! Or, if
you've never tested your browser, there will never be a better time
to start. Scanit's new browser security test comes with a brand new
testing engine, including 12 "never before seen" tests.
These new tests will check for vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer,
Firefox, Opera and even in Flash and QuickTime.
To get to the
testing area, go to this Web
site. When you get there, look toward the bottom and you will
see some information about your browser. Listed there will be your
browser's name, the version you're using and the operating system
you have. For example, mine said MSIE (Microsoft Internet Explorer),
version 6.0 and Windows XP. Yours may be different, depending on what
all you use. Below that, you can choose what you would like the test
to check for. You can choose between "Only test for bugs
specific to my type of browser," "Run all
available tests" or "Choose individual
tests." Click the one you want and then hit the Start
the Test link.
For mine, I chose
"Run all available tests," but do what you want. If all
else fails, you can always go back and do another test if the one
you choose doesn't do exactly what you expected. Once you start the
test, you will get a Caution! message. It's just there to let you
know that the test will try to crash your browser and that you should
close out any other browser windows you have open at the time. You
can only test one browser at a time, so if you want to test more than
one, just do them separately. Once you read through the message, click
OK to continue on with the test.
The Scanit program
will then go through all 12 of the new tests. It takes a little while
to go through them all, so just be patient. You may want to go grab
another cup of coffee while you're waiting! Now, if your browser crashes
during the test, just close it down and go right back to the Scanit
Web site. It will then ask you if your browser crashed. Click Yes.
You will see a few of your results, but just click the Continue
the Test link to finish it out.
The test will
then finish and you will be given your results. Everything next to
a green checkmark means it's in good condition, while everything with
a red X means there's a vulnerability. If you have any vulnerabilities,
don't panic! Keep scrolling down and you will see a detailed explanation
of the problem. Scanit gives you a description and some recommendations
on what you can do to fix it. The Scanit test will give you the information
you need to know about what's affecting your Web browser from being
completely secure, along with what you can do to take care of the
problem right away. It doesn't get any better than that!
Give this security
test a try today and see how your Web browser measures up when it
comes to safety!
~ Erin
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