‘Tis the season to beef up your computer’s security with one of the more proactive tools available: an internet filter. Why? Because an array of negative content, ranging from movie and show spoilers to online scams are becoming ubiquitous, and hackers are getting more sophisticated, finding their way around traditional malware blockers. Here are the top 3 reasons you should be using an internet filter for better browsing.
1. Avoid Spoilers
When it comes to movie or TV show spoilers, it’s hard to undo the damage, and this can be frustrating. If you’ve been quickly averting your eyes from the screen every time you see a reference to Star Wars for fear of seeing a spoiler, we feel your pain. For this, there are three actions you can take:
1. Stay off your computer
2. Go and watch the movie already!
3. Use a content filter
While option 1 isn’t always realistic and option 2 is a given, many users don’t realize that content filters aren’t only for parents screening objectionable content from kids. You can use them as a tool to avoid seeing spoilers for your most anticipated movies and TV shows.
2. Proactive Defense
For protecting yourself from malware, you can take the step of installing passive defense systems, such as firewalls and malware blockers. While these may help in the short run, hackers are getting more sophisticated, finding their way around traditional defenses. For whatever gets through this passive defense, there are also after-the-fact malware cleaners that sweep your computer, removing invasive software to varying degrees of effectiveness. But we believe the best defense is proactive.
Filtering search results from malware and other online threats is an example of proactive internet safety. While filtering your web content will likely never mean 100% protection from malicious users and
botnets, filtering your web content can help you think twice about clicking on a fateful link that you can’t undo.
3. Internet and Content Filters Are Customizable
Whether you’re a concerned parent, safety enthusiast, or a die-hard Star Wars fan, internet filters can be a game changer, helping you avoid spoilers and avoid clicking on untrustworthy links. In 2016 we predict major upgrades to filtering technologies, giving users the power to choose what to NOT see.
While internet filters will sometimes block more than you ask them to, the consensus is that they do much more help than harm. With more control handed to the user this coming year, we expect to see highly customizable and simple-to-use filters. Now that 2016 is less than 10 days away, we will all find out very soon.