Tips on Improving Internet Explorer Security

Well you might use Internet explorer 9 occasionally or you’re a avid daily user of this browser. Although you have heard from Microsoft that the security of Internet explorer is flawless and it provides you of the most secure web browsing that you can ever experience. Indeed it is like that but Internet explorer might be sending your entire browsing history to Microsoft. Well it depends on how you configure the security of Internet explorer.

One of the important security feature of Internet explorer is the smart screen filter which prevents private information from being leaked out. Tracking protection is not enabled by default so to get maximum security you need to enable it manually.

Well some of the tip for further enhancing the security system:

1.  Suggested Sites:

If this option is enabled then your entire browsing history is sent to Microsoft. Microsoft will store these sites and compare it with other similar sites and present them to you as suggestions when you open the suggested sites menu. To disable this option:

• Click the gear like icon below the red X and select internet options.
• After the window options select the advanced tab
• Scroll down and locate browsing section
• Uncheck the enable suggested sites box.
• Click ok to save settings.

2.  Tracking Protection:

Tracking protection will prevent websites from tracking you because it contains a list of tracking protection lists which prevents files from tracking you. By default its not enabled so you need to enable it and Internet explorer will allow you to install custom tracking protection lists. To enable it:

• Click on the gear like icon and select safety
• When you put to safety it expands to show a list of option.
• Select tracking protection.
• There will be no tracking protection list so you need to click on get a tracking protection list online.
• It will take you to Microsoft website where you will be able to see different lists of tracking protection
• Install a tracking protection list by clicking on add.
• Don’t be worried the tracking protection list that you have installed will be updated once a week.

3.  Smart Screen Filter:

This option keeps you safe from malicious websites. It does this by sending the website address that your visiting to Microsoft where it is checked against the list of safe web addresses and if it doesn’t match with the list then your prevented from accessing the website. At times it can be annoying so to disable it do the following:

• Click on the gear like icon
• Select safety which will expand to show a list of various options
• Select turn off smart screen filter.
• If you want you can manually check any website your visiting whether it’s safe or not.

4.  Cookies:

Cookies are the reason by which most advertising websites can track your progress on the Internet and your preference of the website that you visits. You can disable this by:

• Clicking on gear like icon and selecting Internet options.
• Then go to privacy tab
• Drag the bar to the top and it will prevent third party cookies from saving. It causes also other unwanted problems. So lower the slider if you encounter trouble during browsing