Out of date browser software is a great way to install malware on your computer. A simple way to help avoid computer “infections” while surfing the web is by keeping your browser up to date (note: this is one of the most common ways that Macs get infected).
At the time of this writing, the following are the latest browser versions:
Firefox 3.6.17 or 4.0.1 5.0.1
(you should strongly consider upgrading to 5.0.1 unless there’s a specific application you use that requires 3.6.x)
Safari 5.0.5
Chrome 12.0.742.100
Opera 11.11
Updates for Internet Explorer are bundled in Windows Automatic Updates. So, as long as that’s enabled (and you allow it to install the updates), you should have the latest version. Any version of IE before 8.0 should be abandoned.
For Firefox and Opera users, you can easily check for updates by clicking on Help within your browser and then “Check for Updates…” For Safari on the Mac, use the “Software Update…” feature to get the latest version. For Google Chrome users, click on the wrench icon on the browser toolbar and then select “Update Google Chrome”.
Download links for all the latest browser versions are below:
While you’re at it, you should really consider making sure other popular applications are up to date including Adobe Reader, Flash and Shockwave, Java, QuickTime, etc. Refer to this article for an easy way to determine what needs updating on your computer.
The cyber miscreants are counting on your software being out of date! Why make it easy for them??