Using online security measures can be confusing and costly. But there is one easy step you can take right now: Make your browser as secure as possible.
"Web security is a two-component affair: the websites and applications, and the browser you use to access the web," says Justin Clarke, director at Gotham Digital Science, a New York City-based business security firm.
Use the latest versions for all browsers and keep plug-ins and third-party apps up-to-date. Here are three free tools that will help your business browser earn the Fort Knox stamp of approval:
Qualys BrowserCheck
Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Qualys makes a full line of automated security tools aimed mostly at hard-core web security pros, but it also offers an easy-to-use browser security tool called BrowserCheck. Click the "scan" button on the BrowserCheck page, and get a report of recommended fixes, plus links to the relevant software.
Firefox Plugin Check
For keeping plug-ins secure, Firefox offers one heck of a management tool. Visit the plug-in check site, run the scan and get a detailed report of your add-on browser software. And, if one of your favorite plug-ins is no longer supported, get rid of it.
Browserscope
Browserscope is the most powerful browser analysis tool we tested. It runs a deep scan of your browser's vulnerabilities and compares the results to all the scans from users who have used the tool.
This article originally posted on Entrepreneur.com
