There are two new browser kids on the Web block: Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla's Firefox 2. Whether you use one or both browsers, it's time well-spent checking security settings.

Internet Explorer 7

If you have used Internet Explorer in the past, it works pretty much the same. But Internet Explorer 7 reorganizes its options menu. Visited sites, cookies, and temporary files are now all under the heading "Browsing history." Here's how to access it:

1. Open Internet Explorer 7 and click Tools>>Internet Options.
2. Select the General tab.
3. Click the Delete button. You'll see options to delete different types of files. The familiar items here include Temporary Internet Files and Cookies. The option to erase visited addresses has been moved to the same list.

You can also delete form data and passwords. These are transplants from the old AutoComplete menu. These are the account numbers and user names along with passwords that you enter while using the Web.

Near the bottom of the window, you'll see a "Delete all" button. It allows you to clear everything on the list in one shot. This is handy if you're using a public computer. Otherwise, you may want to save convenient cookies and form information.

The dangers of ActiveX are given more attention in Internet Explorer 7. The browser gives clear indications of potentially unsafe security settings. To see for yourself, click Tools>>Internet Options. Select the Security tab. Then click Custom level.

Potentially unsafe settings are marked "(not secure)." And if these settings are selected, they'll be highlighted in red.

Internet Explorer 7 also offers better indication of secure (encrypted) sites. A highlighted padlock icon now appears at the top of the window. You can click the icon to check the name on the site's certificate. The name should match the site you're viewing.

Finally, Internet Explorer 7 includes a phishing filter. It can notify you of reported spoofed sites used in phishing scams. To check a site, click the shield icon at the bottom of the window. You also can opt to have every site checked automatically.

Internet Explorer 7 is available for download from Microsoft's site. It is also being offered as an update through Windows Update. IE7 works only on Windows XP.

Firefox 2

Firefox 2 makes privacy and security options easier to find. Each has been promoted to separate tabs in the Options menu. Like Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2 provides a way to erase your tracks with one button. However, the task is not as straightforward in Firefox 2.

1. Open Firefox 2. Click Tools>>Options.
2. Select the Privacy tab. Under Private Data, click Settings. You can select which items will be erased by Firefox's Clear Private Data.
3. After you've made your selections, you can erase those items at any time. To do it, click Tools>>Clear Private Data.


Firefox 2 passwords are now listed on the Security tab of the Options menu. Also on the Security tab are options for the new phishing filter. By default, the sites you visit are compared to a list of reported phishing sites.

Mozilla provides a Web page that demonstrates the phishing filter's warning. Including a pop-up and a blacked-out window, the warning is hard to miss.

Firefox 2 uses the same indicators of secure sites as the previous version. A padlock icon is displayed in the address bar, which becomes highlighted. A slight improvement makes checking a site's certificate easier. Just click on the padlock icon.

You can get Firefox 2 . It works on Windows 98 and newer versions.