Secure your web browser

Every desktop computer or laptop will have one or more web browsers installed enabling your staff to browse the internet. However the web surfing behavior of your employees can be a potential security risk to your business. There are lots of malicious websites which can cause your IT network to be attacked by viruses or malware. It is essential to keep your browsers safe. We will give you some tips how to keep your web browsers safe without restricting your staff too much.

Have your IT department manage the browsers

Make sure that your IT department is managing all browsers on work stations. Most well known browsers have functionality to centrally manage the browsers. This way your company is in total control what settings are used on every browser. It is also possible to create user groups with different level of configuration depending on their role. Your IT department can for example block certain web sites or block the use of certain plug-ins.

Always install the latest updates

Your IT department needs to ensure that your organisation is always running the most recent version of the browser. If there is an update install this immediately. If there is a new version of any browser make sure you replace the old one. You can set browsers to do this automatically as soon as a browser manufacturer rolls out a new version however many IT departments prefer to have control of that themselves. For example to install updates outside of peak times.

Limit plug-ins and extensions

Plug-ins and extensions give the browsers extra functionality which can be helpful to staff performing their day to day work. However this extra functionality can be misused by malicious plug-ins. The simple option is to block extensions and plug-ins but that is not always possible or desirable because some extensions may be necessary for business users. It is better to blacklist certain potential harmful plug-ins. If an extension is essential make sure your IT department has tested and checked this extension.

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Secure your web browser

Block certain websites

One of the biggest challenges in strengthening browser security for business use is knowing when to block external sites. Some decisions are easy like website containing possible offensive content however it is not always that black and white. Enabling everyone to read private mail through the browser opens the door to a lot of miserable malicious code in seemingly innocent content. However blocking external e-mail causes staff to find other ways to maintain contact and potentially using methods which cause more of a risk to your IT structure.

Delete browser data on a regular basis

Most data stored in a browser is there for a good reason. The idea of cookies and other session data ensures that people can log in faster or load web pages quicker. But this data also contains a lot of secret information. For example business research into future products or new strategies. Knowing what a company is researching is very valuable to the competition.

To protect such data it is useful to regularly delete local data or even erase all website data immediately so that it is never saved at all. The browser has several options for doing this automatically.

Tech-Wales and IT Security

At Tech-Wales we can make your business IT environment secure and protect you from potentially dangerous attacks. We will ensure your IT security is of the highest standard without limiting your organisation to function efficiently. Our well trained and customer friendly staff will ensure your business and data are safe. Do not hesitate to contact us.