5 Secrets Browsers Have that Might Compromise Your Computer

Does your browser seem to have a life on its own? Browsers are software applications that come with all operating systems. So you can’t really escape it. But why escape browsers when they can do you a lot of good?

They’re the only application that allows you to access the internet after all. With all the good browsers can give, some have secret lives that can lead to a lot of harm to your computer.

Let’s find out how your browser might be compromising both your software and hardware.

Your Browser May be the Cause why your Computer is Slowing Down

You don’t see how browsers work behind the scenes. A lot of them work real fast but can also use up a lot of virtual memory from your hard drive. Some of them eat up a lot of virtual memory to the point of slowing your computer’s speed down to a halt. This shouldn’t be a problem if your machine is new. But if you’re using an old computer, a heavy browser will just frustrate you with slow upload and download times.

The Solution: Download Opera Mini for PC. This browser is ultra-light and super fast. It provides you with just the bare necessities of the websites so it’s a good choice when your computer’s memory is clogged up.

Your Browser Unwittingly helps Keylogger Software to Capture Whatever it is You’re Typing

Keylogger software are an indispensable tool for hackers because it captures all the keys you hit with your keyboard. With the information they can glean from this software, they can decode your passwords and your other important personal information.  Although the keylogger software is not installed directly into your browser, it still does damage because it collects key strokes you do when using your web browser.

The Solution: if you suspect your browser is capturing your keystrokes, don’t open secure sites which require passwords. Make sure to click “Never” when your browser asks to remember your username and passwords. Or you can go into “Safe Mode in Networking” when you boot up.

Your Browser Knows What You’ve Been Browsing and Searching

Web browsers are becoming more intelligent and efficient. They do this by saving bits of information from the pages you browsed, your keystrokes and even from the keywords you typed when searching. These saved information come in the form of cookies and other temporary files.

These files are actually helpful because they make your browsing experience faster and more intuitive. But if your browser is compromised, these files can actually be used against you. In a compromised computer, these files can be accessed to see what you’ve been up to lately. And there are a lot of really good hackers out there who can steal privacy-related data just by accessing your browser’s cookies.

The solution: clear cookies and other temporary files used by your browser. You can also disable cookies to protect your privacy further. Go to your browser’s “Tools” and click “Clear Browsing Data”.

Your Browser May Be Downloading Malware and Viruses

This is just bad news. When you suddenly find your computer behaving strangely, then there’s a good chance a malware or a virus has latched on to your system. There are a lot of websites out there that have these malwares, and it just takes a click from you to transfer them to your computer.

The solution: visit only trusted sites. If a site seems suspicious then there’s a close to 100% chance it’s loaded with malware. You can also download a virus/malware cleaning software.

Your Browser May Be Blocking Your Security Settings

With a compromised computer, malwares disable your browser’s security settings. So expect to have more malware, a non-responsive browser, and a lot of pesky pop-ups.

The solution: check your browser’s security settings. If you can’t change them back to their default setting then you’d better download a virus/malware cleaning software.

You should act fast when you suspect something odd with your browser. With more secure transactions done in the internet these days, it’s best to protect yourself from any untoward circumstance that may cause hardware/software damage and personal information theft.