A quick update from my side

Hey all my dear readers! :D I hope you all are doing great! ^_^

This has been a long dormant ride for me right? No Internet and a lot of work. But I guess I am taking a sneakpeek from my sleep, I said, I guess..

So work has started for me, after that long, and strict training by the company that employed me. Strict? Yes, very! Why? Well, no brace yourselves, and get ready to read a heart breaking story from the geeky kiddo out here!

So, I will go ahead with the don'ts. I guess, that'd give you a better idea, a clearer idea of the strictness.

The Cons of the strictness
No Internet! I repeat No Internet O_O :(
No Laptop
No Personal Computer
Only cellphone, and extremely poor network coverage
SHIT FOOD!
Rules, rules, rules!!
School boy treatment?! Damn!
Expectations
Meagre Salary
Time boundations
Long un-neccessary working hours
Strange people
Irritating Environment
No Time
Enough already? What else you want to read, death?! -_-

Okay, you might consider this as a rant, but well, just try and think this all for regular 5 months, without a holiday, and 2500 km away from home. Now say!

Well, anyways, now things are little settling down. With me settling in the job, starting to get real work, and getting access to Internet and my laptop, atleast once I am not inside the company premises.

But life will keep on going, right? With all goods and bads. The point is, why this post is here? Was this supposed to be a rant over past? Well no, I have other things to say too.

I have got an Internet connection, and if I keep getting time, I will keep up with the updates for my blog. But if I dont, it would become a weekend blog, rather a daily one as it used to be until June end.

So what am I planing to post this month, I mean the rest of the month, if I get time to? Music, of course. And some good tutorials from the Internet. Games, yes! :D and some great articles from web in regular fromrum fridays. And what else? What aobut my tech tuesdays? well, they will have to wait. I used to take a lot of time writing them, so I will have to get a perfect balance before I start with them again.

So, enough of the past-future talks, eh? No psychic stuff. But better than psychocto! :P

On the spiritual side, I am a little hit. Not getting time to do my daily prayers, so feeling a little disconnected with myself. Rest, I am trying to adjust with the adversities life is throwing at my way in the name of this new city, and all. No friends, No good food, and less salary, phew! what are the good things man?!

Of course there are some good things too, but for the time being, I am unable to see the brighter side of the coin. But well, as the time will pass, we will be able to turn the coin and unleash the bright sunlight of happiness again! :D

On a positive note, hope to see you all soon again!

Good Night people! :)

Just wanted to share some words with you all

Hey all my dear readers! :D I hope you all are doing great! ^_^

Been long, right? A bit too long. All those Musical Mondays in last 4-5 months were all scheduled posts. I had no Internet Access, and well, no laptop/PC either to blog/visit back or do anything I had been doing until June '14.

Well, that travel for the job in the June end, was really a big change for me. Living without family, friends, Internet, games, it all was like, as if I was totally fun deprived. Not that I couldn't have fun with the resources there, people there, but well, my own rules and routines didn't allow me to. Thus, those 4-5 months became total dormancy for me.

Disconnected from a lot of friends, and my family, it was a new experience for me. I don't know how much have I been able to develop myself, either personally, or professionally, but somewhere my heart says, the experience stored in my sub-conscious mind will help me in life further.

Now I am moving to another new city, even farther from my family and friends. But well, I will have my laptop with me. So I will try to find an Internet connection too. Then atleast I can connect with some good old friends so that I don't feel that lonely, and well, this blog will always be there for me to help me spend that little bit free time I might find to make myself feel lonely and depressed.

Well, but I have learned a lot of things, and I don't want to discuss all the events that happened with me which made me feel sad and depressed. Now that all is gone. And now I am again moving. Of course it will be hard for me to not feel homesick, I love my home and family just too much. But, atleast I won't be that sad since I have experienced a lot already.

On a positive note, and positive thoughts, I hope I can get time, and resources(INTERNET to be precise!) to continue blogging so that I keep interacting with you all.

Hope to be back to normal soon, I mean the Toxifier self :D for you all, and the small, nagging kid for my family. I guess I shouldn't write further, or these watery eyes will begin to water my beard now, LOL! Anyways, see you all soon again!

Good Evening!

And I forgot, if I get time tomorrow, I might schedule more posts. Else, wait till I get my stable Internet connection in the new city. And of course, a place to live, a place to eat. :)

Reviews of some popular Online Shopping Websites in India May'14 - My Take - Random Wednesday

Hey all my dear readers! Let me welcome you all to my blog on this Random Wednesday at Blog de Toxifier! :D



I was thinking of updating my previous post on Online Shopping Website Comparison. But then I thought It'd be better to make new post with recent happenings and experiences.



So here for you all a "My Take" on the Online Shopping Websites in India. I used May '14 in this post to indicate that this one depends on my experiences upto that period. If I ever post again such a post, it will have a different month and perhaps year.



So let's start :D

Myntra (Myntra.com)

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
=======================



My favourite destination to buy Fashion Online. Would you believe? I ordered my Adidas Blazon at 8:45 am and received them at 4:45 pm the same day? Yes! They have done the quickest delivery to me of all the Online Shopping Websites O have ever purchased with. But that's not all. I placed an order of around 15 clothes (worth around 20,000) and got them within 36 hours of placing my order! All the packaging was good, and products being genuine too :D

They improved on the speed of their website in past months and their website now loads up superfast! Maybe they read my last review :D They have also improved their packaging and have started to box-pack all the goods they deliver. When I ordered my Adidas shoes, the box of the shoes was ruined. I put that in my feedback, though rest of the things were fine so I gave them 10/10 on everything else that day. A couple of days later, they called me to clarify that they tried to pack the product as good as they could and the box might have been ruined during transportation. I told them it's okay, but they can bubble wrap shoe boxes, and box pack other clothes they deliver which would prevent any such issues. When I purchased something again after a couple of months, I got everything box packed! Last month I purchased a jeans from them, and guess what?! Not only it was packed in a box, but the box was sealed in a thin plastic wrap! For the first time I saw customer feedback being heard by some people! Just too good myntra! :)

Their pricing has improved and are already at par with the offline stores. Moreover, they give coupons year round! So you get everything at a discounted price for sure :D And when they run a sale on their website, well! MYNTRA IS THE BEST then :D I bought a sweatshirt, for example. he price in store during sale season was 2160 INR, but at myntra it was 1300 INR!

Always supporting Cash on Delivery is the main plus point since it is better to pay cash than using Online Transactions which can be risky.

Still I didn't give them 5/5? Well, quick delivery is not just one thing to be considered dear. There are a lot of other things I have to consider before reviewing. They deal just in fashion but still lack a lot of things I would have bought. For example, only a small collection of Mid Rise Jeans by good companies like Wrangler, Levis, etc. If they add more of that, and add my favourite brands like Louis Phillippe and Van Huesen, I am sure to give them a 5/5 :D

I have bought 3 bags, a pair of shoes, more than 15 shirts, 5 women purses/handbags, 5 pair of jeans, and many socks and briefs! LOL! You can say till date I have purchased goods of worth around 50,000 INR from Myntra in last 2 years! Only once had a bad experience , but the customer support was great and helped me. So I give them a 4.5/5(why not 5/5 I have already discussed).

Myntra also features a lot of exclusive and signature brands, like HRX, and Being Human. Apart from that, their own brands are good too.

They have recently started the rewards point system and I got a platinum membership! :D Thus, a lot of points on every purchase, implying a greater discount on my next purchase! :D

Breakup of the rating I gave to Myntra:

Layout	5/5
Speed of Website	4.5/5
Customer Support	3.5/5
Product Availability	4/5
Ease of Use	5/5
Price	4.5/5
Packing	5/5

The average becomes approx. 4.5/5 so good to go, right? :)

Didn't checked my experience with any other reviews so cannot comment what other people feel for this website. Though among my friends, Jabong is more popular, though I personally love myntra! :D

Flipkart (Flipkart.com)

My Rating: 4 out of 5
=====================

The second one on my list is Flipkart, an Indian Shopping Website based in Bangalore, India.



Started with a bad experience, this is one website I now have a great experience with and now consider it to be my top priority. Whenever I need to buy something online I first search it on Flipkart! Earlier whenever I had to see the highest price of the commodity on Internet I consulted Flipkart, now I can find the best and the most competitive price on Flipkart, they have improved a great deal.

I bought 3 mobile phones, an external hard disk, pen drives, watch, accessories, books, and computer supplies etc. through this website at a rate lower than most of the websites. I would say their delivery is fast and packing is good too. I like this website. Greatly recommend it. They use high quality bubble wraps and good boxes to pack the goods. The already box packed goods, are also bubble wrapped and packed in their box which saves the original product box from the slightest nook/bump!

Reason for not giving 5/5 is my past experience of Hard Disk and RAM and bad customer support. Since I didn't contact the customer care after that in any of the purchases, since I didn't need to :D, I won't comment on customer support this time for Flipkart. If they continue to be good now, I might consider a 4.5/5 in my next review perhaps! :)

They have also introduced a couple of new features like In-a-day guarantee (they seem to have been liking Amazon, eh! :P) and payzippy (e-wallet, seems they like ebay too! :O)

Breakup of the rating for Flipkart:

Layout	4.5/5
Speed of Website	5/5
Customer Support	N/A -- Can't review -- Didn't require to contact them
Product Availability	4/5
Ease of Use	4.5/5
Price	4.5/5
Packing	5/5

Thus 4 out of 5 is my rating for Flipkart. :)

My friends too have had a great experience of buying from Flipkart. Many people on Internet say they were delivered quickly even at remote locations. So perhaps, my experience is rightly reviewed by me this time too! :D

eBay (ebay.in)

My Rating: 3.0 out of 5
=======================



A website I loved the most, but now I am scared to use! Yes, it is eBay, a popular Online Shopping Website, not just in India but around the world. The prices and coupons make this website a great catch but would lure anyone who thinks it to be too trustworthy like I did.

I won't talk about my bad experience with eBay again, but yes since what happened with my purchase of a calculator, I was taught a lesson to be ultra-cautious while purchasing online. Still I bought a RAM from eBay earlier this year and a couple of mobile accessories. The experience was good to be precise. They have improved themselves. The goods were not packed in seller's packaging, rather eBay had packed them. Seems like eBay too has got some warehouses now to do the work like other websites are doing. My experience has been improved with them since last year, though honestly, I am still scared of buying from them!

Thus, eBay! I give you 3.0 star.

Let's break up this rating that I gave to eBay:

Layout	4/5
Speed of Website	4/5
Customer Support	May have improved since my last encounter Thus no comments
Product Availability	4/5
Ease of Use	4/5

Infibeam (infibeam.com)

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
=======================



Infibeam is another great Indian shopping Website. It is based in Gujarat, I suppose. My experiences so far with this website have been good. I don't know why, but I just love this website! :D

The packaging of the products is awesome, is just superb. They pack the products so well that there should be no transit-or-handling damages to the product. They would uses so many bubble wrap sheets that the product or it's box will never be damaged! Their outer covering is also good, and the packing bag looks good :D

I have bought Pen Drives, Cooling Pad, Chocolate Syrup, accessories, etc. etc. etc. from this website and the experience has been good so far. They have great customer support and they can hold your shipment if you ask them to do so for a while.

They have a Magic Box page that they update daily at 00:00 (Indian Standard Time). Magic Box @Infibeam features great deals are superb prices!

For a great experience I give Infibeam 4.5 out of 5 stars :)

Breakup of my rating for Infibeam:

Layout	4/5
Speed of Website	4.5/5
Customer Support	4.5/5
Product Availability	4/5
Ease of Use	5/5
Price	4.5/5
Packing	5/5

I didn't search for any reviews on Internet to confirm my experience with that of others. But my friends suggested me this website. They all have had good experiences with this website and say they deliver real quick and have the best prices. And I agree to that all! :D

SnapDeal (snapdeal.com)

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
=======================



I have had a good experience with everything I bought from Snapdeal. The prices are real cool and delivery is quick and packing is good too. Precisely, the products are priced, 10 or 20 bucks less than Flipkart! LOL! Their minimum order for Free Delivery is less than that of Flipkart.

I have bought earphones, headphones, shaving blades, body lotion, shaving cream, after shave lotions, books, etc. from this website and all my experiences have been good so far. Once had to contact the customer support to delay my delivery since I wasn't home, it was good to contact them. No problems then why not 5/5? Because not everything is available. Things go out of stock, and remain out of stock, sometimes the prices are high, rather than being competitive.

Still this is a good website and I always consider it whenever I buy online.

Breakup of the rating I gave to Snapdeal:

Layout	4/5
Speed of Website	4/5
Customer Support	5/5
Product Availability	3.5/5
Ease of Use	5/5
Price	4.5/5
Packing	4.5/5

Freecharge (freecharge.in)

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
========================



I guess I am no longer going out of my home to recharge my mobile phone! :D This website is completely awesome. It beats any website that offers online recharge for prepaid mobiles, bill payment for postpaid mobiles/DTH services. They have coupons that discount your evey recharge all the time! :D

That's not all, they got some real good deals which unlock as per your recharge amount. These deals are in the form of coupons which may be available for free or at a nominal fee of 5 to 20 INR with benefits worht 50-200 INR! The scaling is good, right?

The recharges are quick and successful, and in case they are experiencing any problems, they warn you as soon as you enter your mobile number.

I find them totally amazing. As long as they have the cool deals and coupons, they will remain on the top charts! :)

Breakup of the rating I gave to Freecharge:

Layout	5/5
Speed of Website	5/5
Customer Support	N/A Not encountered yet
Product Availability	4/5 The special recharges are available less often
Ease of Use	5/5
Price	5/5 due to coupons and deals
Packing	N/A

Pepperfry (Pepperfry.com)

My Rating: 4 out of 5
=====================



I have made just one purchase with them as yet, but their deals are quite lucrative. I have not been able to buy from them a lot of times just because a good deal ended in no time! LOL!

I recently purchased a set of Tupperware containers which were no longer available with most local dealers I had contacts with. Moreover, I bout them at a nice price!

My experience with Pepperfry was good. They delivered real fast, and the packing was good. They seem to be more of a furniture destination and their collection is really awesome. Though, furniture never seems to be easy on pocket, so I guess I won't buy furniture online. But Pepperfry seems to be a good website with good deals every now and then. Products like deodrants and soaps are available with them, though their collection features a lot exotic products and supplies (beauty, kitchen supplies, etc.) and not the general ones that are available with the local shops.

Breakup of the rating I gave to Pepperfry:

Layout	4.5/5
Speed of Website	4/5
Customer Support	N/A Not yet contacted/td>
Product Availability	3.5/5 They have more of the exotic stuff
Ease of Use	5/5
Price	4.5/5
Packing	4.5/5

Star CJ (starcj.com)

My Rating: 4.0 out of 5
========================



As yet I have made just one purchase from them, a set of 7 sarees. They were featuring them on television when I ordered it by phone.

The product packaging was really really good. The product was delivered in time, though not quickly. The products were same as were featured on TV and also the quality was worth the price.

The deals are good and the prices is are really nice. They have some exclusively available products in their collection.

Breakup of the rating I gave to Star CJ:

Layout	3.5/5
Speed of Website	3/5
Customer Support	5/5
Product Availability	3.5/5
Ease of Use	5/5
Price	4.5/5
Packing	5/5

I hope the websites won't have any problems with me reviewing them without their consent since these are honest reviews and they should appreciate that people would know about these websites and the websites can improve them if I pointed any flaw. Still if anyone finds any of these reviews bad, please don't sue me(LOL!). Just let me know if you belong to that company and I should remove any content.



I hope everyone who reads this post finds it useful. Please feel free to post your suggestions, comments and reviews in the comments. These reviews are honest and based on my own experiences. I wasn't paid to write them in case you think these are morphed. They are real 100% based on my own personal experience.
Good evening all! :) And happy new month of MAY! :)

Guidelines for securing Operating System Part 11 – Wireless Network Connections – Tech Tuesday

Hey all my dear readers! :D I hope you all are doing great! ^_^



Continuing the Security Tips series I started in July '13, today I wish to discuss with you all the topics listed after the following links. Just in case you want to access the last posts in this series, here are the links:

Part 1: General Guidelines - Click Here
Part 2: Microsoft Windows - Click Here
Part 3: Macintosh - Click Here
Part 4: Guest Accounts - Click Here
Part 5: Windows Firewall - Click Here
Part 6: Event Viewer & Netstat - Click Here
Part 7: Antiviruses - Click Here
Part 8: Data Encryption - Click Here
Part 9: Cryptography Tools & True Crypt - Click Here
Part 10: Browser Security - Click Here

Today I am going to discuss with you all certain aspects about Wireless Network Connections & Security.

Let's first consider in brief the structure of this post.

• Introduction
• Home Network
• Steps for Home Networking
• Wireless Networks
• Setting up a Wireless Network
• Common Threats to Wireless Network
• Wireless Network Security
• Conclusion/Comments

Introduction

A fast Internet Connection always enhances browsing experience; at the same time, it attracts the attackers seeking someone to play with! So knowledge about setting up a network is necessary, but this knowledge is incomplete without the knowledge about the Network Security.

Home Network

Home computers are widely used to send emails, listen to music, watch videos, download stuff, play games, etc. etc. etc.! And I guess most of the people have more than one computer these days. Many of these people do setup home network, but not all. So I would like to discuss how to do that, how to secure that, and to begin with, why to do that.

With a home network we can optimize the experiences of computers in a home network because:

• A home network will let the users share Files and Documents
• A home network will let the users share an Internet Connection
• A home network will let the users share Printers and Scanners
• A home network will let the users share Stereos, TV, game systems
• A home network will let the users share DVD/CD Burners

Steps for Home Networking

Home Networking is the same thing I was telling you earlier, the network setup you use at your home (generally) to connect your personal devices like PCs, laptops, TV, etc.

To setup a home network you require:

• At least two computers with a LAN card each to setup a network
• One router to connect the computers (and Internet)
• Optional: One Internet Subscription Line (If you wish to share an Internet Connection)

To setup a home network:

• Check the computer’s hardware and make a note of this information
• Purchase the required hardware, router/hubs/switch. If you wish to share Internet, prefer a switch/router. If you wish to share files, printer, etc. then a hub is good enough. If you wish a wired network, buy LAN Cables, viz. Ethernet cable with RJ-45 socket. If you wish to create a wireless network instead, you’d need additional wireless adapters (or dongles) to connect the devices without the Wi-Fi compatibility.
• Make sure all the computers have Network Interface Card/LAN Card.
• Make the connections
• Select a host computer and connect it to the Internet. You can connect a Router instead.
• Connect the other devices using the router/switch/hub
• Install network adapters in all the ocmputers.
• You might need to restart, though I’d recommend restarting.

Wireless Networks

Wireless networks are used to connect the computers to each other without any cables. They have become popular due to ease of installation and the increasing popularity of mobile devices (laptops, phones, tablets).

The major advantage of this wireless network is user mobility that is of course within a certain range, the range of the wireless network. In order to accommodate enough devices our devices providing this wireless network to the mobile devices should have enough bandwidth.

Setting up a Wireless Network

Now let’s discuss how to setup a wireless network in Windows 7 and Mac OSX.

Setting up a Wireless Network in Windows 7

I consider that you have got a wireless router, a wireless adapter (to connect your PC to the router, if you have Wi-Fi in that already, then you won’t need the adapter). The Wireless router will be fed with the Internet Connection, and the wireless adapter will help connect your PC to the wireless router, hus giving access to the Internet.

Steps:

• In Start, in the search box, type Network and select Network and Sharing.
• Click Set up a Connection or Network.
• Click Set up a new network and click Next.

You can self-guided further! :P



Now consider you wish to make some modifications in this wireless network:

• Select Manage Wireless Network from Network and Sharing Center
• Click Add and select Manually create a network profile.
  
  
  
• Fill in the details
• Check the option Start this connection automatically and connect even if the network is not broadcasting and click Next
• Select Change Connection Settings
• Uncheck the option Connect to a more preferred network if available in the connection tab.
• In the security tab, select Microsoft Protected EAP (PEAP) and click Settings.
• Protected EAP properties popup: Check the option Validate server certificate.
• In Trusted Root Certification Authorities, check Class 3 Public Primary Certification Authority.
  
  
  
  
• In select Authentication Method, select Secure password (EAP-MISCHAP v2) and click the Configure button.
• Uncheck Automatically use my Windows logon name password (and domain if any) and click OK to dismiss each of the open windows.
• A balloon will appear near the system tray that reads, Additional Information is required to connect to <NAME that you provided>. Click this balloon.
• Enter your NETID and password. Once validated, another balloon appears, “Additional Information is required to connect”
• Click the balloon -> OK to agree and validate the server certificate.
• After few minutes, you will be connected to your wireless network.

Setting up a wireless network in Mac

• Click Network Pane in system preferences and choose AirPort entry.
• Check the Show AirPort Status in Menu Bar check box.
• Choose the system preferences.
• Click the AirPort status icon in Menu Bar.
• Click Create network and enter a name for the network.
• Check the required password check box.
• Enter a password for your network and then enter it again to confirm it.
• Click OK.

• Go to the upper right Airport icon.
• Select the UConnect option from the drop down menu
• Complete the User Name and Password fields, select Automatic for 802.1x, and check Remember this network.
• Click OK
• Accept the verification certificate by clicking Continue. Now you will be connected to UConnect shortly. If not, you need to check your profile.
• Go to system preferences and click Network.
• Verify that you are connected.
• Select Airport to the left and click Advanced.
• Click on the 802.1x tab and select the WPA:UConnect profile.
• Verify that PEAP is the only protocol checked.
• Select the Configure Trust buton.
• Select the Servers tab. Click the + and select one of the available servers. Click OK.
• Hit OK twice and click Apply

Common Threats to Wireless Network

If an attacker gains access to your wireless network, he/she can exploit this weakness to:

• Read user email and instant messages as they travel across the network.
• Monitor the websites visited by you.
• Copy your usernames and/or passwords.
• View files on the computers and spread malware.
• Disclose your confidential information.
• Interrupt the wireless service and implement unauthorized WLAN.
• Send spam or perform illegal activities with your Internet connection
• Slow your Internet and/or computer performance.

Wireless Network Security

I have discusses Antiviruses and firewalls in great detail in my earlier posts, and you should read them and make sure you have an updated copy of both. Other things that you need to take care of include:

• Turn off the network during extended periods of idling/non-use.
• Revisit WLAN network design for any incorrect access point placements.
• Do not connect to unprotected wireless networks in public places.
• Change the default SSID.
• Change the default administrator password (and preferably usernames too).
• Disable or turn off SSID broadcast for the network to make the network invisible to attackers.
• Enable MAC Address filtering to keep track of all network MAC devices connecting to the router.
• Data transmitting over wireless networks should be encrypted to prevent eavesdropping, interception, and data modification.
• Network-level denial of service attacks are prevented by using user authentication.
• Unauthenticated access to the wireless network can be prevented by using a virtual private network (VPN) connection and IPSEC.
• VPNs keep communications safe by creating tunnels through which the encrypted data travels.
• A network should be scanned using software scanning tools to locate and shut down rogue WLANs.
• If the user is connected to an unprotected wireless network at public places, do not visit a website that requires a password unless the website is encrypted.

Conclusion/Comments

I hope you find all the relevant information you must know about the topic of security I discussed with you all today. For any queries or suggestions please feel free to comment here.

I hope you all have a great day ahead! :) Happy Tuesday :) See you all soon! :D

Guidelines for securing Operating System Part 10 - Browser Security - Tech Tuesday

Hey all my dear readers! :D I hope you all are doing great! ^_^



Continuing the Security Tips series I started in July '13, today I wish to discuss with you all the topics listed after the following links. Just in case you want to access the last posts in this series, here are the links:

Part 1: General Guidelines - Click Here
Part 2: Microsoft Windows - Click Here
Part 3: Macintosh - Click Here
Part 4: Guest Accounts - Click Here
Part 5: Windows Firewall - Click Here
Part 6: Event Viewer & Netstat - Click Here
Part 7: Antiviruses - Click Here
Part 8: Data Encryption - Click Here
Part 9: Cryptography Tools & True Crypt - Click Here

Let's first consider in brief the structure of this post.

• Introduction
• Cookies
• Internet Explorer Security Settings
• Internet Explorer Security Settings: Internet Zone
• Internet Explorer Security Settings: ActiveX Control
• Internet Explorer Security Settings: Local Intranet Zone
• Internet Explorer Security Settings: Trusted Zone
• Internet Explorer Security Settings: Restricted Zone
• Internet Explorer Privacy Settings
• Securing Files Downloads
• Mozilla Firefox
• Mozilla Firefox Security Settings
• Mozilla Firefox Privacy Settings
• Securing File Downloads
• Google Chrome
• Google Chrome: Privacy Settings
• Google Chrome: Security Settings
• Apple Safari
• Apple Safari: Security Settings
• Conclusion/Comments

Introduction

Internet Security involves basic security measures to protect a user’s account from attacks when connected to the Internet. It explains security elements that are necessary for the user to use the Internet safely.



Coming to more precise and detailed thing, Internet Security involves protecting the user’s data and information from unauthorized access (through Internet attacks), apart from the various viruses, and other malware.

Attacks on the Internet are common through (but not restricted to) the following:

• Emails: An important means of communication, and traditionally a great way to spread viruses. The email attachments and the stupid links are the most common way how the attackers spread the viruses. At times they’d use the fake email IDs which’d resemble some real email ID and an inattentive user will fall prey.
• IM: Although the days of Yahoo! Messenger, gtalk, etc. are gone, but facebook and skype messengers have gain huge interest of the users, and thus the attackers. Those who have used the Yahoo! Messenger, know how the chat rooms are infected with spam bots who keep spreadin the malware all the time.
• File Sharing and Downloads: Ultimately virus comes from some file you downloaded, intentionally, unintentionally, yourself, or some automated script on a malicious website did that. Thus be careful of what you download on the Internet.

Cookies

A cookie is information provided by a web server to a web browser and then sent back unchanged by the browser to that server when the browser access that server. Your sessions are managed using cookies on most websites. You must have noticed the ‘Keep me signed in’ or ‘Remember me’ checkbox on 99.99% websites at the login form. That actually generates a cookie with a large session time (typically 30-60 days) with the user login credentials (encrypted). Thus when you open that website next time, the web browser automatically logs you into that website by checking that cookie with the server.

Cookies are not viruses, and they have encrypted information. Still they are dangerous. Why? They hold your important information, like your login credentials. Try this: Delete your cookies and open my blog again. You’ll see totally different kind of ads! Why? Because the advertising websites generate a cookie that tracks your internet activity broadly. I mean they track the “type” of website visited by your browser. This information is then used to target ads which they think are of your interest based on the types of websites you visited.

Though this ad-racking thing is not risky, and sometimes helps us getting good and relevant ads (for a change), but the cookies still hold your login credentials and session information, even though the information is encrypted. Thus, you must keep them clear off your computer.

Internet Explorer Security Settings

Let’s start by configuring Internet Explorer for security. I’d suggest you all that, in case you use Internet Explorer, try to transfer to some other web browser which is safer. Internet Explorer is a good browser, but unfortunately, quite unsafe.

Let’s first open the security settings, and then I shall discuss in details how to configure them. I am discussing Internet Explorer in more detail than the other web browser. With a proper mapping, you can find most things are common to all browsers.

Launch Internet Explorer -> Click the Tools button -> select Internet Options.



Select the Security Tab and see what all are the zones different websites can be classified into. You can use these settings to make yourself more secure, block certain websites, etc.

Internet Explorer Security Settings: Internet Zone

The Internet Explorer includes predefined zones: Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites. A user can set the security options for each zone and add or remove websites from the zones by estimating the level of trust or risk in a particular website. The Internet zone is for all websites except those listed in the trusted or restricted zones.



Just select a zone for which you’d like to configure the settings. Then use the slider to adjust the security levels. The information displayed to the right of the slider clearly explains what happens at that security level set by the slider. You can click the custom level… button to set certain different criteria.

Internet Explorer Security Settings: ActiveX Controls

ActiveX controls are the building blocks of a small program that distribute applications through the web browser. By default, Microsoft has set the security settings for it to medium. Thus by default you can run signed ActiveX controls.

Now since you are free to change this default behaviour, you can set the security level for ActiveX to low/medium/high/custom. Why would you like to do that? It is because these ActiveX controls can be used to install software on your system, like Windows Update does. But some malicious person might use them to install viruses on your system. So staying on guard, is better. To protect yourself from such threats you can do the following:

• Disable the ActiveX Controls and Plugins options in the Security Settings. With Windows XP gone, we don’t need browser to update, right? Windows 7 onwards has got that Update Utility.
• Enable the Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls option so that the browser prompts when an ActiveX control or plug-in needs to be enabled.
• Click Ok to apply the settings

You have got more options if you wish to customize more. But I am sharing the common ones that are sufficient for a nice level of security. Alternatively, use the High level from the drop down list.

Internet Explorer Security Settings: Local Intranet Zone

The Local Intranet Zone covers the sites on the Intranet. To add websites to the Local Intranet Zone:

• Select Security -> Local Intranet
• Click Sites.
• Click the Advanced button.
• Enter the URL into the Add this website to the zone: column and click Add.
• Click OK to apply the settings.

Internet Explorer Security Settings: Trusted Zone

A trusted zone contains those websites that a user believes will not damage his or her computers or data.
To add websites to the trusted site zone:

• Select Security -> Trusted Sites
• Click the Sites button
• Enter the URL into the Add this website to the zone: column and click Add.
• Click OK to apply the settings.

Internet Explorer Security Settings: Restricted Zone

The restricted zone restricts access to the websites that might damage a computer. Users can avoid accessing a restricted site by adding it to the restricted zone. The Restricted Sites zone will help prevent the installation of unwanted applications, reduce unwanted pop-ups, and not allow sites to run unwanted scripts. This setting also protects the privacy by not sending cookies to sites in the Restricted Sites Zone.



To add websites to the restricted site zone:

• Select Security -> Restricted Sites
• Click the Sites button
• Enter the URL into the Add this website to the zone: column and click Add.
• Click OK to apply the settings.

Internet Explorer Privacy Settings

Information stored in a cookie is limited in such a manner that it cannot carry a virus. But the information is good enough to be of use for someone who knows how to use it for bad things, like session hijacking.

So keeping the cookies clear is a good idea. I have time and again stressed upon the use of CCleaner. The free version does most of the tasks.

To configure cookie settings in Internet explorer:

• Choose Internet Options from the Tools menu on the browser.
• Select the Privacy tab and use the slider to set the level to low, medium, medium-high, or high.
  
  
  
  
• Block all or accept all cookies, depending on the requirements. Though for a home user who access so many websites that need cookies, I guess you’ll have to stick to accepting the cookies.
  
  
  
  
• Check the Turn on Popup Blocker option to block pop-ups that appear while visiting websites.

Deleting the Browser History

That sounds familiar right? You have done that sometime because some forum suggested, or to protect your privacy from others, or your ISP customer support said, your Internet is slow due to Temporary and Cache data, so you need to clear it. Clearing the browsing history protects your privacy, a little step to clearing your Internet footprints (at your PC atleast!) and also saves you Hard Disk Space. Here by history I not only mean the browsing history, but also the micro caches of the browser, cookies, private data, temporary files, etc. You should clean your Internet temp monthly, or once in three months atleast. Again you can use the CCleaner to automate the job for you. For better results, you may try TuneUp Utilities.

• Choose Internet Options from Tools menu.
  
  
  
  
• Go to the Browsing History section
• Check the desired options in Delete Browsing History window. I suggest cleaning everything (not just history) once in three months atleast.
• Click Delete to delete browsing history.
  
  
  
  

A personal suggestion is don’t save your passwords on your browsers! They are really risky if someone gets access to your PC. I don’t mean just a friend playing a prank on you, but the viruses too, who can get access to the passwords that you might have saved.

Securing File Downloads

Sometimes the file download starts automatically, or the location of the download is not asked. This should be taken care of and thus all downloads should prompt and on user’s acceptance should be downloaded. Users can configure the download settings in the Internet Explorer to set permissions to download files from the Internet. This setting controls whether Internet Explorer should allow downloads or not. File downloads can either be enabled or disabled.

• To configure the download settings for Internet Explorer, click Tools -> Internet Options -> Security.
• Select the Custom level button in the Security Settings window.
• In the Downloads settings, enable the File Download, and Font Download options.
• Click OK to save the settings.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is a secure, fast, and customizable web browser. Securing Firefox Settings is easy just like the Internet Explorer. Launch Mozilla Firefox. Click Tools -> Select Options.

Mozilla Firefox: Security Settings

A user can control the level security. You can customize settings like passwords, cookies, popups, etc. Following are the steps:

• Select Security from the Options window.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Check the option Warn me when sites try to install add-ons so that the browser prompts before installing add-ons to the browser.
• Click the Exceptions button and enter the URL into the Address of Website field and click Allow to specify the websites allowed to install add-ons.
  
  
  
  
• Check the Block reported attack sites option to prevent the user from visiting malicious websites.
• Check the Block reported web forgeries option for Firefox to actively check whether the sites visited may be an attempt to mislead the user to provide personal information.
• Uncheck the Remember Passwords for sites options to prevent the browser from remembering passwords for login pages visited.

Mozilla Firefox: Privacy Settings

To set the privacy settings in the browser, follow these steps:

• Select Privacy in the Options window.
  
  
  
  
• Firefox allows the user to choose if they want the browser to remember their history. The user may select the option Never remember history to maintain privacy.
• Click Clear your recent history.
• Select the time range to clear the history.
  
  
  
  
• Check the options required to clear the history and click Clear Now.

Securing File Downloads

Just like we did for Internet Explorer, we need to secure file downloads for Firefox too. But it is pretty simple.

• In Firefox, files are downloaded by default to Documents -> Downloads. We must change the setting such that it asks every time where to save the file.
• Navigate to Tool -> Options -> General
• Check the option Always ask me where to save the file to allow the browser to ask before downloading a file to the desired location.

Google Chrome

Another popular browser we have by the name of Google Chrome, developed by Google. TO change the security/privacy settings:

• Launch Google Chrome.
• Navigate to http://chrome:settings
  
  
  
  
• Click Advanced Button at the end of the page

Google Chrome: Privacy Settings

• Scroll down to Privacy Settings.
  
  
  
  

Google Chrome: Security Settings

In the Google Chrome Settings:

• Secure Sockets Layer(SSL) is an Internet Protocol used by many websites to ensure safe data encryption and transmission. The SSL setting in the web browser is turned on by default.
  
  
  
  
• Some websites require the older version, SSL 2.0, so check the Use SSL 2.0 checkbox too.
• Check the Check for server certificate revocation option to turn on real-time verification for the validity of a website’s certificate for extra security.

Apple Safari

By default, Safari is set to display a few web features, such as some movies, animation, and web applications. A user may wish to turn off these features to help protect privacy from possible security risks on the Internet. The Safari browser contains features equivalent to those in Firefox, with some differences. To change the security settings in Apple Safari:

• Launch Safari
• Click on the gear icon and select preferences.
  
  
  
  

Apple Safari: Security Settings

To configure security settings in Safari web browser:

• Select the Security Tab in the preferences window.
• The Web content section permits the user to enable or disable various forms of scripting and active content.
• It is recommended to accept cookies only from sites visited.
• Check Ask before sending a non-secure form to a secure website option, which allows the browser to warn the user before opening any website that is not secure.

Conclusion/Comments

I hope you find all the relevant information you must know about the topic of security I discussed with you all today. For any queries or suggestions please feel free to comment here.

I hope you all have a great day ahead! :) Happy Tuesday :) See you all soon! :D