They're actually more like the car than the key, I suppose. They are the tools we use to travel around the web, finding interesting destinations. The trouble is, sometimes an unwanted passenger climbs aboard along the way. In some cases they may even carjack you, taking you places you had no intention of going.

So, what to do?

Users have options, starting with browser selection. Internet Explorer still has over 90% of the 'market' (an odd term for free software), but it's popularity is waning slightly. Firefox and others have inherently better security and the added advantage of running on Linux.

Even if they're not actually more secure, these other browsers are not as likely to be targeted simply because the people who attack them prefer to go where they'll get the biggest bang for the buck. Until laws change and software vendors get more serious about the security of their products, the best way to avoid being targeted is to lay low.

Another key to improving your browser security is learning more about it.

There are a lot of options and setting in Internet Explorer (and most other browsers) that allow you to have more control over what is allowed and what isn't. The trouble is, most people have little to no idea how to set them properly.

For example, should you disable Javascript, leave it enabled or set it up to prompt you every time a website uses it? In this particular example, it depends on your tolerance for annoyance. If you disable it entirely, some websites just won't work. And if you set it to prompt you, you may get a lot of messages popping up if you frequent sites that use it.

It's an undesirable trade-off to be faced with, and one which we can hope someday won't be necessary. But in the interim, it isn't necessary to be a computer geek to experiment and read a bit to find out what these settings affect. The first time you're infected and lose a day recovering, you'll wish you'd spent the two hours finding out.

Another important factor here is how you use your browser. If a warning message pops up when you're on a website, do you just click OK and move on or do you actually read it? Unless you know for a fact that you can trust the site, it's always best to be thorough.

Most users are unaware of the extent to which using a browser opens up their system to the rest of the world. Being on the Internet means not just seeing, but being visible. And accessing sites usually means being accessible. It isn't just harmless cookies that can be downloaded to your system. Once executable programs are downloaded they often have free rein to your entire system.

Take some time to learn how to lock your system down, even beyond just the browser, to make sure that you won't be hit by some kind of attack.