Many of the tools we have used in this phase of the book have examined ways to clean up a system once it is infected. What if we could provide Internet users with a tool to prevent infection and instill better browsing habits? That is what this task will investigate. You will learn about McAfee Site Advisor, a tool designed to rank websites so that users can see if they are safe to visit before ever clicking on that first link. A nice feature of this tool is that it has been designed to work with third-party browsers.
Scenario
Your manager is concerned that Internet users may unknowingly be visiting malicious sites. She has asked that you develop a solution to help end users make better browsing choices.
Scope of Task
Duration
This task should take about 10 minutes.
Setup
For this task, you will need a Windows computer, access to the Administrator account, an Internet connection, the Firefox web browser, and the ability to download files.
Caveat
Although website-rating tools can help users evaluate the safety of a site before visiting it, this type of tool does not prevent the user from clicking on the link and proceeding even though there could be danger.
Procedure
In this task, you will learn how to run McAfee Site Advisor.
Equipment Used
For this task, you must have:
- A Windows computer
- Access to the Administrator account
- An Internet connection
- The Firefox web browser
Details
This task will show you how to install and run McAfee Site Advisor. This program will allow you to evaluate the safety of websites before visiting. This tool is offered for free from McAfee.
Installing and Running McAfee Site Advisor
1. Once you have accessed your Windows computer and have logged in as Administrator, open your Firefox browser, go to www.siteadvisor.com/download/windows.html, and click Download.
2. Once you start the download, the program will prompt you to accept the licensing agreement. Once you choose Yes, the download will begin.
3. Upon completion of the download, Firefox will prompt you to install the McAfee plug-in. After installation, you will be prompted to restart Firefox.
4. Once Firefox restarts, Site Advisor will be installed and running. If you perform a Google search, the results will now show Site Advisor information. The search shown here for song lyrics shows the final site with a red x, as it may be unsafe.
You should use caution when visiting any unknown or questionable site. Sites marked with red should not be visited.
5. To learn more about questionable sites, you can click on the green check mark or red x.
6. A full review of the site can be obtained by clicking in the Site Advisor pop-up.
Criteria for Completion
You have completed this task when you have downloaded McAfee Site Advisor, installed it on a Windows system, and used it to develop better browsing habits.