Obtaining a .gov domain is easier than you think. By successfully impersonating elected officials (like the mayor of a small town), and filling out an application, hackers can illegally purchase .gov domains with little proof of authority. Keep this in mind the next time you’re entering private information into a .gov website.

Most websites collect a lot of information on a visitor, which is then used to track them across the web and target ads. If you’re uncomfortable with that, consider setting up an ad blocker or installing specialized extensions that limit what any site can see about your device and activity.

Many websites now ask for permission to send you notifications. If allowed to do so, they can quickly overwhelm with you alerts. Either deny the request or turn off any browser requests you’ve already enabled in your browser’s settings menu to avoid spam.

When you first install a web browser on a new computer, it will not usually have secure settings by default, you will need to adjust your browser’s security settings manually. Securing your browser is another critical step in improving your computer’s security by reducing attacks that take advantage of unsecured web browsers.

Major web browsers including Apple Safari, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox all include password management features designed to make your life easier. When you enter a password on a site, they will usually ask you if you want to save it and your username for later. Doing so is a good way to avoid the […]

Many websites now give you the option to receive notifications directly from them, similar to an app. The prompt will usually provide options for “Allow” or “Block.” Most of the time, you’ll want to block them since they can be very intrusive and potentially lead you to risky sites.