About
"Distrust and caution are the parents of security" - Benjamin Franklin
NoScript for Firefox is an open-source add-on that pre-emptively blocks malicious scripts and allows JavaScript, Java and other potentially dangerous content only from sites you trust.
Because Firefox does not have easily-configured security zones like Internet Explorer, NoScript is needed to configure the web browser options on a per-site basis.
Mozilla offers a useful Plugin Check service that scans a user’s machine for vulnerable (outdated) plugins and provides a feature to update these plugins. Be sure to visit the Plugin Check page (http://www.mozilla.com/plugincheck/) and update all those plugins.
From the Encryption tab, make sure you are using secure protocols (SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0).
From the Advanced category, choose the Update tab and make sure all the automatic update boxes are checked. This will make sure the browser, all add-ons and search engines are fully updated. You should check the “automatically download and install the update” option to make sure this is seamless.
From the Advanced category, click on the General tab and make sure your browser defaults are properly set. Some malicious programs change browser start-up defaults without your knowledge so we recommend that you always check to see if Firefox is the default browser on startup.
You should also submit crash reports to Mozilla to help fix crashes that may lead to securitiy problems.
From the Tools menu, select Clear Recent History. This opens a second window with checkboxes to let you decide what to clear from the browser’s history. You can decide to wipe browsing and download history, cookies, cache, active logins or site preferences. This screen also allows you to set a time range to clear history.
Mozilla Firefox contains a useful privacy feature to Clear Recent History. This option will remove potentially sensitive information from the web browser. (See next screen).
Once you click the Advanced button, a second window opens to allow you to disable specific JavaScript features. We recommend disabling all of the options displayed in this dialog.
The Content category contains an option to block annoying pop-up windows. Be sure to check that box. From this screen, you can disable specific JavaScript features by clicking on the Advanced button. (See next screen)
From the Security tab, you can set up alerts for signs of malicious activity. Check the boxes for a warning when sites try to install add-ons and for blocking phishing and attack sites.
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