When you are browsing the web, you may encounter many types of threats such as phishing sites that tries to trick you into revealing your private information such as paypal, online banking and etc. Then there are sites that will install spyware on your computer and then try to trick you into buying their antispyware program. Then there are scripts that is capable to exploit the browser’s vulnerability. According to the latest Netcraft web server survey, there are about 182 million sites and the numbers are growing rapidly. With that amount of sites on the Internet, distinguishing the good websites from the bad is very tricky, even for experienced users. I was tricked into installing a rogueware (Spy Sheriff) once because everything seemed so real!
Firefox web browser has a built-in security feature where it can block attack sites and web forgeries. It works but in my opinion, it is a little annoying when I want to ignore the warning and continue accessing the “attack site”. As for AVG Link Scanner, it is a total failure because it slows down your internet connection. One of the best is probably McAfee SiteAdvisor, a shareware that cost $19.99 per year where it shields your PC from dangerous Web sites, no matter where they appear.
If you’re looking for an alternative which is free, you can try Browser Defender toolbar.
Not all toolbar are bad. The Browser Defender toolbar by ThreatExpert allows you to surf safely by displaying site ratings as you browse the Internet. When you visit a site its address will be checked by Browserdefender’s servers and a rating shown in toolbar based on any malicious behavior or threats we have found associated with the site.
The toolbar is a useful utility that provides you with a safety rating for website links returned from a Google or Yahoo! search, so that you are aware before you visit a website whether, in ThreatExpert’s opinion, it is safe, unsafe or needs to be visited with caution. When you install the Browser Defender toolbar, search results through Google and Yahoo! searches will be marked with a green, red, yellow or grey icon beside each link to indicate their safety level. Moving your cursor over the rating will display a summary of the site’s rating for downloads and links.
A simple green, red or yellow rating lets you know immediately if, in ThreatExpert’s opinion, the website is safe to visit, harmful or needs to be visited with caution. If the website is not amongst our millions of crawled domains, then a grey rating will be shown.
Please note information about the sites you visit will be transmitted to ThreatExpert’s servers to provide the site ratings. The information is anonymous and used solely for the purpose of providing the Browser Defender service.
Currently Browser Defender only supports Internet Explorer and Firefox web browser. It is still in BETA so you should expect some bugs although I haven’t encounter any.
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hehehehe Thank You, Sir.
raymond just tell me how to get this defenderwebadvisor off my computer it is not something i put on here and when i find who did they will not be onthis computer anymore. thank you . w.c.
Spyware Terminator does the same. This looks good too!
Thanx Ray, this has saved me lots of headache.
all tips are very usefull. thanks raymond, i need CA-45 usb cable driver, can you help me?
@Robert S: the plus version of McAfee’s SiteAdvisor also checks links in instant-message programs. I don’t know if its support the new WLM 2009 yet.
Thanks Raymond. Its a very useful tool.
Hi Raymond,
These site advising addon/tool bars looks interesting..
Maybe a followup comprehensive list comparing the most commonly used would be appreciated :-)
Thanks!
Well i prefer WOT for firefox and for IE symantec websafe or mcafee siteadvisor
i use WOT a firefox extension and for IE i use norton websafe.
Or just use free AVG that has such a feat….
I’ve been using the SiteAdvisor freeware farther back than I can remember. I also used CallingID for quite sometime, but it definitely slowed down even my broadband Internet access.
I haven’t tried it, but BrowserDefender apparently is just another option that works in the way the free SiteAdvisor version does — although probably with a smaller database, it can’t be as reliable.
As described here, BrowserDefender as yet doesn’t seem to have the functionality of replacing the shareware (or even the freebie) SiteAdvisor.
Hi Raymond, I haven’t received my KIS 2009 key yet. Thanks.
Hey thx…
Looks somethin like WOT
Excellent product, but slows down my browser
ola
Another free alternative would be CallingID:
callingid.com/Default.aspx
Excellent tool which not only provides security ratings but also a server location and owner adress. Have used it a few weeks now and like it a lot.
I have the free version of Mcafee SiteAdvisor. I didn’t even know there was a pay version. Does the pay version work any better than the free one?
There are plenty of McAfee’s SiteAdvisor alternatives. For example, Norton offers SafeWeb, but requires NIS2009 or Norton360 3.0 to be installed. TrendMicro has TrendProtect (stand-alone, IE only), which has been discontinued for a long time. Recently F-Secure also put a similar new feature called “Safe Web” in its F-Secure Internet Security Technology Preview. Btw, McAfee SiteAdvisor has the largest database among its kind.
I’ve always use the WOT (web of trust) extension for Firefox, although I believe it displays less info as compared to Browser Defender.
Thanks mate, I have had experiences when Firefox 3 crashed while visiting some sites, now maybe I can take evasive actions.
Great tips, since i started ibanking recently
This is a second ligne of defense for parental control, I used to have web security guard but it slowed my web browsing experience, well this is a common feature, now I will test Browser defender and hope to be better!!! Does a firewall prevent the reaching of Browser Defender to its server to be updated or to exchange infos?
this a good alternative but this makes the browser a bit slow for me.
There is always Web Of Truth (WOT) add on for Firefox, which has user ratings as well, but it is a small button on the top, next to the home button. Perhaps this might be a viable alternative for that too.
thanx man !!!
Nice tips Raymond
Have been using BrowserDefender for over 3 months on my parents computer.
The best part is, the BIG BAR. Which clearly shows Danger and not like other utils like SiteAdvisor which show merely a icon or a balloon. Both of which amateur users tend to miss.
thanks ray
i’m 2nd person comment is ok
Thanks Ray!! This will be very useful the next time I surf the web. You never know what you can run across here when you are online.