How to Browse Safely Using a Virtual Machine

A virtual machine is a very useful setup when testing software, browsing the Internet or downloading software that you are unsure of. Using special software, you can have two separate and distinct computer systems operating inside one physical computer. Each system has a separate operating system and is completely unaware of the other system.

Instructions

1. Purchase and install software required to create a virtual machine. The software used depends on the operating system of your main or physical computer, the amount of memory space available and the types of applications you want to run. For the purpose of browsing on the Internet, any basic software does the job, as an Internet browser is not a heavy-resource software program.

2. Install an anti-virus and firewall software on the virtual machine, in addition to the operating system of your choice. Remember this is a completely separate machine, so you are not restricted to the same operating system as your main computer.

3. Turn on your main computer and activate your virtual machine interface. The software selected opens a window within your existing desktop and the operating system on that machine starts up.

4. Open your Internet browser and access the websites that you are interested it. This tool allows you to test the security settings and download materials that have a medium- to high-security risk.

Tips & Warnings

• Should you run into problems with the virtual machine while browsing, simply close the window and delete the program. Any faulty program or viruses are contained within the virtual machine.

• Do not copy, paste or transfer software or documents from the virtual machine to your main machine. Virus programs can be imported this way and then breach the security of your main machine.