“The truth is that the security team at Facebook works hard to counter threats on their site — it’s just that policing 350 million users can’t be an easy job for anyone…” said Graham Cluley (Sophos) in a recent CNET article.  That is where Norton Safe Web steps in.  The new tool works much like Web of Trust (WOT) and has already been available as an online service for some time.  The folks over at Norton have just integrated it into Facebook for the specific purpose of testing your feed for links to unsafe/malicious content.  There are some limitations to this new application, but it is a step in the right direction for Facebook users and their computers.

Using Norton Safe Web

“Installing” the app and testing your feed takes only minutes and a few clicks of a mouse button.  First, you’ll need to click on the application page link : http://apps.facebook.com/nortonsafeweb.  You’ll be asked to let Norton Safe Web access your profile and feed information (ironic isn’t it).  On the first screen, simply click Allow.  When prompted about “additional permissions,” you’ll need to grant permissions to Norton by clicking on the text that reads “grant us permission to access your News Feed and Wall.”  Finally, you can click on Allow Access to finish out the installation process.

Once installed, Norton Safe Web will automatically run a scan of your feed for the last 24 hours and return the scan results for you to review.

Scanning .....

Results

There are several items in the results that stand out.  Of course, the green check marks (Safe) and red X’s (Warning) are important and represent the safety of a link within your feed, but that is not all you get.

• Untested – Those question marks (gray circles) indicate that the site has not been reviewed by anyone yet.  This doesn’t mean that the link is dangerous, simply that there is no information either way.  All of the results from the Norton Safe Web program are taken from user feedback about the site in question.
• Full URL – Often, Facebook users and programs will post a shortened URL on FB.  These shortened URLs point to real sites and unfortunately that is how most of these malicious links make their way around the internet.  The Safe Web results show you the full URL, in case you are interested in where the link will take you.
• Norton Safe Web Report – If you see a Warning message or simply want to know more information about a link in question, you can click on “See Norton Safe Web Report” to visit the Norton web site and see feedback from users who have posted reviews of the site.  The report will have information on computer threats, identity threats, e-commerce safety and annoyance factors.

How to Use Norton Safe Web

The idea of Norton Safe Web (NSW) is great, but the implementation is a little lacking.  I don’t think this is Norton’s fault in any way, but simple a restriction of the Facebook design.  The problem is that you can only test and see results when you take the time to visit the application.  These scans of your feed will not take place automatically and results will not show when you simply visit your Facebook page.  Instead, users will have to remember to test their links before clicking on them.

In order to get the most out of this tool and actually remember to use it, I recommend the following steps.

1. Click on the Add Bookmark option within the application (shown in the Results image above).
2. Then, edit your bookmarks (under your image on left0hand side) by clicking More and then Edit
3. Click and drag the Norton Safe Web line up as far as you can take it, then let go
4. Click Less and make sure that you can see the bookmark for NSW without expanding your bookmarks

Each day (or session), before clicking on any links that have been shared with you, simply click on the bookmark and Norton will run a complete scan of all of the links in your feed.  The test takes a few seconds and won’t really slow down your Facebook experience.

Pre-Scanning Integration

One tool from the Norton Safe Web application that was integrated very well is the Pre-Scanning feature.  As someone who shares links and sites in your feed, you can do your part to reduce dangerous site visits by checking your links as you post them.  The feature is available under the “Attach:” dropdown box (shown below).

Pre-Scan Feature

When you click on Safe Web Link Post you’ll be prompted for the URL you want to share and Norton will do the rest.  Your link, your message and a Seal of Approval are all posted in the format shown here:

Pre-Scanned Link via Norton Safe Web

Verdict

All-in-all, I think Norton has really helped Facebook and it’s users with this FREE step in the right direction.  As I mentioned above, the integration could have been a little better and helped all of us who will forget about testing links before clicking on them, but I still feel that the strict rules of Facebook are to blame for that.  Add this application to your Facebook bookmarks today and help rid Facebook of the dangerous links and malicious sites.

Over the past few years, Firefox add-ons have grabbed my attention more and more.  Each time I found myself with a browsing need or problem, a quick Google search led me to a solution using add-ons, which are basically mini-programs that work within Firefox to customize some part of the browsing experience.  I have installed and tested many add-ons during that time and today I bring you my own collection, titled JumpstartMyFirefox, to help you take back your browser.

Getting Started

If you are an Internet Explorer user, I urge you to at least try Firefox and these add-ons.  Installing Firefox will not replace or delete anything you have done in IE, so you can always switch back if you would like.  If you are already a Firefox user, this might be the time to start with a fresh install of Firefox.  That’s what I did and I couldn’t be happier.   Jump on over to firefox.com and get started.  It takes just a few minutes to download and install this great browser.

BEFORE: Default Install for Firefox (version 3.6)

Now that you have Firefox installed, you’ll need to install the recommended add-ons below.  The article looks lengthy, but these add-ons can be installed in about 10-15 minutes.  The only time consuming part is waiting on Firefox to restart after each one is installed.  Direct links are available (below) or you can visit the Official JumpstartMyFirefox Collection page on Mozilla.

AFTER: JumpstartMyFirefox Add-ons Image Map

Security and Speed Features

1) Adblock Plus – gets rid of most of those ads and banners that often take longer to download than everything else on the page. Install

2) NoScript - stops active content on sites until you “whitelist” the page or site.  Protects your computer from malicious attacks. Install
NOTE: NoScript takes some time to learn and can seem a bit strict at first, but WILL help protect your computer.

3) Web of Trust (WOT) – warns you about risky sites that cheat customers, deliver malware or send spam.  Install

4) Optimize Google (not shown in image above) – works behind the scenes to enhance Google search results and remove ads and spam. Install

Layout and Streamline Features

5) App Tabs – Pin favicon-sized app tabs to the left side of the tab bar.  A must have for anyone who visits the same sites throughout the day.  Install
NOTE: This add-on is listed as experimental.  I have seen no issues or side-effects from use of App Tabs.

6) Download Statusbar (not shown in image above) – View and manage downloads from a tidy statusbar – without the download window getting in the way of your web browsing.  Install

7) Strata40 – a theme that changes the layout of the browser (colors, icons, etc.)  Install

StrataBuddy – A companion add-on that adds new features to Strata40.  Install

9) Fission – Fission combines address bar and progress bar.  This makes the progress bar more visible and allows for a nice visual effect.  Install

Further Customization

After you have Firefox and all of the add-ons installed you can begin fine-tuning your Firefox layout to get everything right where you want it.  Here are a few small changes that I made to the interface you see above.

• Add icons for bookmarks and printing – By default, you only have a few icons to work with (back, home, stop, refresh), but a right-click anywhere in the menu options will allow you to Customize what buttons you see.  With the Customize Toolbar window open, you can drag and drop icons anywhere you want them, move search and address bars around, etc.
• Change the View to remove the Bookmarks Toolbar – If I want to access a bookmark, I can simply click on the star (between the address ans search bars) to see my bookmark links.

Related Articles

Want more add-ons for Firefox?  There are thousands to choose from on the add-ons web site.  At JumpstartMyPC.com, we have already written a few articles on some other great add-ons to help you with printing, tab reloading, etc.  Click on the links below to find out more:

My Web of Trust – You Cannot Afford to Surf Without It – more detailed information about WOT add-on.

Firefox Add-on BarTap – How Did I Live Without It? – BarTap helps speed up the restart time of Firefox after a crash or shutdown.

Site Launcher – Like Having a Remote Control for Firefox – It’s like having a remote control to your favorite web sites.

ShareThis makes sharing easy – There is no easier way to share web sites or articles with friends and family via email, Facebook, Twitter or any other sharing site you can think of.