There's a nice plug-in that has been around for a little while, but I figured it needs to be mentioned. The plug-in is called, "Qualys Browser Check". You can go directly to the site itself to install the plug-in or just click on this link... http://browsercheck.qualys.com.
The plug-in works with all the major browsers (IE, Firefox, & Chrome). If it's your first time to the site you will be given the opportunity to install the plug-in. After installing it you may need to restart your browser, depending on which one you're using. Once the browser is restarted it will automatically start doing a scan of your browser & system for any outdated plug-ins, add-ons, or other system components that may pose a security threat to your system.
Once the scan is done (which only takes about 20-30 seconds), and if any critical security issues are detected, they will be highlighted at the top of the page. Below, it will give you a page of detailed results. To the right of each result you will be shown a color coded box along with a status. Anything highlighted in RED is serious and should be checked immediately. Orange is considered a warning, and green is good. In the next column you will see a blue "Fix It" button that will either bring you to your system's component page to check its security settings or take you to the corresponding plug-in's website to download the latest version of the insecure item and upgrade it.
Upon updating and/or upgrading any out-of-date items, it's best to do a re-scan of the Qualys page so you can see if the updates were installed correctly. You can do so by clicking the blue "Re-Scan" button at the top right-hand corner of the page or simply refreshing the page. If so, then you should see the number of security issues decrement.
**Note: Sometimes a plug-in or add-on that you just updated will not immediately show that it's been updated. Sometimes a browser restart or maybe even a system restart will have to be commenced. Upon doing so, just (re)launch your browser, run the Qualys scan again, and it should show as "ok" or "up to date".
A smart idea would be to set the Qualys site as your home page. So every time you start up your browser you can immediately be alerted of any security issues, and tend to them right away.
This is a terrific plug-in. I can't say enough about it. With a majority of the malware today being distributed by way of, "Drive-by Download", this plug-in is invaluable. I recommend that everyone install it and utilize it whenever possible.
If you need help or encounter issues, there is a "Need Help?" section on the right column of the page.
--ma
Michael
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