version for you. This Web site is located at http://www.pwdhash.com and is simple and intuitive to use: Just copy and paste the address of the Web site you need to log in to (such as http://www.ebay.com) and enter your password, and the PwdHash site automatically generates the scrambled version for you. Be sure to note a couple important details here: Your scrambled password will be visible as soon as you click the Generate button. If someone is looking over your shoulder, she can see it, too. You should immediately cut and paste it from the PwdHash Web site to the Web site you're trying to log in to. Your unscrambled password (the one you remember) is not saved or transmitted anywhere when you enter it on http://www.pwdhash.com. A third party could never intercept it because it isn't sent over the Internet.           Preventing Spyware and Viruses If phishing is the digital equivalent of someone stealing your credit card number, spyware and viruses are like having criminals living in your bedroom. (Spyware is software that monitors and records everything you do, and a virus is a program that deletes files or causes other damage.) Unlike phishing scams, both spyware and viruses actually live on your computer. These types of infections typically find their way onto your computer through a malicious file you download. The bottom line is this: You should never, ever download a file unless you know exactly what it is, where it's coming from, and whether the person or company offering it is trustworthy. Avoiding malicious extensions Unfortunately, many browsers make it easy to download files inadvertently in the form of extensions. In Internet Explorer, for example, a Web site can spit out a big, annoying confirmation window as soon as it loads. If you click Yes in a hurry to get to the page, a malicious extension is installed. Firefox does everything it can to prevent you from installing malicious files inadvertently. Instead of allowing Web sites to get in your face with extension downloads, Firefox displays the non-intrusive toolbar that you see in Figure 15-9. (This toolbar doesn't appear for the official Firefox site, though.) Figure 15-9: Firefox displays this toolbar at the top of Web sites that try to install a browser extension. Note that the mere appearance of this toolbar doesn't necessarily suggest impropriety on the part of the Web site. The toolbar appears whenever a Web site other than the official, trusted Firefox Plugins Web site (http://addons.mozilla.org) tries to install an extension. If you trust the Web site you're viewing, go ahead and proceed, as I discuss in Chapter 20 in the section on installing from another site. Acquiring additional software protection Firefox does everything it can to keep you safe, but your computer has many borders to protect, and the browser is only one of them. You must install three additional tools to remain safe and sound on the Internet: Antivirus software: This tool monitors the files on your computer and checks newly downloaded files for viruses. If it finds one, it notifies you immediately and allows you to either delete the file or quarantine it so it can't harm your computer. It's critical that you keep your antivirus software up-to-date because new viruses are discovered regularly. Recommendations: Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan are available in stores.