With the ever increasing trends of online threats to your Internet Security, more and more types of malware are causing havoc to users computers.

One of the common types of threats is Drive-by-Downloads. A drive-by download is a form of exploitation where simply visiting a particular malicious website using a vulnerable system can cause a piece of malware to be downloaded and possibly even executed on that system. In other words it’s a way for a system to be compromised just by visiting a website.

Drive-by downloads are not new; they’ve been lurking around for years it seems, but they’ve become much more common and more crafty recently.

Drive-by downloading is a catch-all name for software downloaded on your computer without your knowledge or intervention. Drive-by downloading is different than phishing, which misleads users by using authentic-appearing sites that deceive users into entering sensitive information, and different than pop-ups, which fool users into agreeing to download software. Drive-by downloads sneak onto computers without the user’s knowledge or permission.

Some of the most common drive-by download carriers are songs from free music share sites, free screensavers, etc. Many of these install spyware that monitors your surfing habits, and then displays pop-ups that match your habits.

How to avoid Drive-by-Downloads

Use a fully updated Browser: It is a pity that despite the increase in threats to Internet Security, people do not pay adequate attention to their browsers and do not care to an updated browser. I am pained to note that as many as 12% people who visit this blog are still using Internet Explorer 6, which has long been phased out by Microsoft. And out of the people who use the latest versions, I do not know how many of them care to update their browsers to the latest patches and security features.

Use Common Sense: Don’t seek or browse disreputable Internet sites or sites that rely heavily on pop-up ads for revenue. Common sites that fall into this category include free file sharing, bootleg game, bootleg video, and porn sites. If whatever a site is offering seems too good to be true, then it probably is

Turn ON Your Phishing Filters: Make sure to turn on your phishing filter, as shown above. Doing so might help you to spot misbehaving Internet sites.

Block Pop-Ups: Ensure it.

Manage Your Add-ons: There are two types of add-ons that should raise a red flag: those that you don’t recognize and those that are not verified. Unrecognized add-ons that are verified by your browser are fine, but those that are not verified should be investigated or disabled from within the browser add-on manager.

Taking a few small precautions will help a great deal in fortifying your Internet Security.