Chapter 2 Browsing the Web

One of the items I found most interesting while reading Chapter 2 was the “shopping safely online” part.  All too often these days, we hear of many instances of identity theft, such as credit card information being stolen from individuals. 

Viruses are another danger when using computers.  Many people do not keep their virus subscriptions up to date, or even run an occasional scan.  A huge hint that your computer might be infected is when it starts to slow down, or it can take the form of a home page hijacking, and prevent your computer from accessing any other site but the one that comes up when you open a browser.  It’s difficult to stay ahead of hackers that want to do harm to your computer and its files.

There were a few other things in Chapter 2 that I had not come across before when using browsers. One thing I never really knew a lot about was the tracking protection lists, and that you can allow or block certain web sites.  This was something I never really explored, but as soon as I read this chapter, I went in and made changes to all three browsers that I currently use.  I also never knew that I could “opt out” of certain web sites in order to make sure that those companies were not collecting data about me.

In the last module, we talked about net neutrality and keeping the web open and unregulated, but it can be dangerous because it is unprotected.  Many times over the years, I worried what our three kids were viewing on the Internet, or who they might be in contact with through their use of the Internet.  There are safeguards available out there such as firewalls, and software like Net Nanny, but parents need to have eyes wide open, and be more aware of what their children are doing on a computer every day.

The Internet is certainly a wonderful item that we have access to, and I’d be lost without it, but it can be also have its drawbacks when used by the unscrupulous who want to do harm to others.  All in all, this was a very enlightening chapter.