Is It Safe?

If you're a security conscious web surfer you probably already take care of your end by keeping anti-virus software up to date, and not giving out private information to just anyone. But, do you ever wonder about the sites that you visit? Is there a way you can determine how safe they are to surf? Yes, by using a tool like McAfee's SiteAdvisor.

McAfee's SiteAdvisor is a service that rates websites for common safety issues like spam, viruses and other nasty things you might encounter online. There's a free version and a paid version which offers additional features.

Assuming you want to try out the free version, there are two ways you can do it:

1. You can add the the software to you browser. Go to www.siteadvisor.com and click on Download SiteAdvisor now. Follow the download instructions they provide. Once downloaded it will automatically alert you to a site's rating through a button on your browser toolbar--the button will change colors depending on safety results. When you use one of the major search engines, like Google, SiteAdvisor will even display color coded safety ratings right next to the individual search results so you have that important information before you click on a link.
   
2. If you prefer not to download it, you can still use this service by going to the homepage, and typing in the address of a website you'd like to check up on, in the box that says, Look up a site report. Next, click go and you'll be able to read the safety report for that website online.

Next time you're at a site and wondering, "Is it safe?" run it by SiteAdvisor and see what they have to say about it!