Having problems with Drive-by downloads attacking your PC?

What is a drive by download?

Download of spyware, a computer virus or any kind of malware that happens without knowledge of the user. Drive-by downloads may happen by visiting a website, viewing an e-mail message or by clicking on a deceptive popup window: the user clicks on the window in the mistaken belief that, for instance, an error report from the PC itself is being acknowledged, or that an innocuous advertisement popup is being dismissed; in such cases, the "supplier" may claim that the user "consented" to the download although actually unaware of having initiated an unwanted or malicious software download. Reference from wikipedia

Through testing at CCS, we have determined Mozilla firefox can help reduce the chances of getting the drive by downloads.

 

Firefox offers these features within their browser:

Anti-Malware

Firefox protects you from viruses, worms, trojan horses and spyware delivered over the Web. If you accidentally access an attack site, it will warn you away from the site and tell you why it isn’t safe to use.

Anti-Phishing

Shop and do business safely on the Internet. Firefox gets a fresh update of web forgery sites 48 times in a day, so if you try to visit a fraudulent site that’s pretending to be a site you trust (like your bank), a browser message—big as life—will stop you.

Outdated Plug-In Detection

Some web pages require that you install small applications called plugins to watch videos, play games or view documents. These plugins are written by other companies, and it can be hard to make sure they’re always up to date. Since outdated plugins are a security risk, Firefox will let you know when you have a plugin that’s vulnerable to attack and direct you to the right site to get the updated version. View our plugin check page.

Parental Controls

Enforce parental control settings you’ve entered on Windows 7 — stop unwanted downloads and more.

Clear Recent History

Clear all your private data or just your activity over the past few hours with a few quick clicks. You have full control over what to delete, and then your info is gone for good—on your own computer or the one at your local library. It’s that easy.

Customized Security Settings

Control the level of scrutiny you’d like Firefox to give a site and enter exceptions—sites that don’t need the third degree. Customize settings for passwords, cookies, loading images and installing add-ons for a fully empowered Web experience.

Add-ons

Firefox looks for a secure connection before installing or updating add-ons, 3rd party software, and Personas.

Password Manager

We’ve seamlessly integrated this feature into your surfing experience. Choose to remember site passwords without intrusive pop-ups. Now you’ll see the “remember password” notification integrated into your view at the top of the site page.

Anti-Virus Software

Firefox integrates elegantly with your Windows antivirus software. When you download a file, your computer’s antivirus program automatically checks it to protect you against viruses and other malware, which could otherwise attack your computer.