Safe browsing requires vigilance, and this includes making sure you have programs installed on your computer to protect you online, and that they are regularly updated. Steps to take: <br /><br /> *Updating everything can be time-consuming, and if you're not sure what to do, use a program like Secunia's [https://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/ Personal Software Inspector (PSI)] to help automate the process of updating all software on your computer. *Make sure Windows Update is turned on and set to automatic. *Always run antivirus software -- there are many free programs from vendors like Avast, AVG, TrendMicro, etc. *Make sure your Windows firewall is on (if you are not using a replacement firewall, if so, keep that one up to date). *Make sure your browsers are the latest versions. Once you get everything up-to-date, then install a couple of helpful add-ons to your new Firefox installation: <br /><br /> *[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/ Adblock Plus] will help block unwanted advertisements. *[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/ NoScript] will only turn on scripting (automated web-page actions) for websites that you trust. After you've updated everything and have your new add-ons installed, you'll be safer on the web and should not be bombarded by adverts.