The Complete Guide to Internet Privacy

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8. STOP VIRUSES

Perhaps I am just a little too hopeful in thinking others would have figured out that nasty things like the Melissa and Love Bug e-mail script viruses are specific to Microsoft products, and that they would have avoided using them for browsing and email. Netscape and Eudora may not be suitable products for everyone - and you cannot do everything with Netscape that Internet Explorer supports - but these programs are, on the whole, less vulnerable to most viruses.

You have three lines of defense here. First, avoid IE and Outlook products for Web browsing and e-mail unless you absolutely have to use them. Unfortunately, some sites or applications require that you use IE or that it be present on the system for displaying various content items, so keep it around just in case. Whether or not you use IE or Outlook regularly, read up on, update and follow the latest instructions provided by Microsoft.

Secondly, if you must use Outlook or Outlook Express, avoid using the Preview mode and do not automatically open any file attachments in e-mail from people you do not know. Opening e-mail only from those you do know is also risky because they may be unprotected and could unknowingly pass a virus on to you.

The most important precaution to take, however, is virus protection. Simply do not use a computer without it. Whether you choose McAfee VirusScan, Virex, Norton AntiVirus, Trend Micro pcCillin or another product for your PC, or a suitable product for an Apple Macintosh, you need some level of protection against bad programs. It matters not if you download software or execute programs attached to e-mail messages-even legitimate, shrink-wrapped commercial software can be installed with a virus embedded in it. The chances of a computer virus getting to your system may be less than 1% or greater than 10% depending on where you surf, who sends you e-mall attachments, etc., but eventually a virus will get close to you-if not actually destroy data and thus rob you of hours of hard work.

SECURITY TOOLS

There are half a dozen or more programs that act as personal firewalls to alert you to, block and control unwanted Internet connection activity. In my opinion, the one most deserving of consideration, not just because it is free but because it is simple (and it works), is ZoneAlarm from www.zonelabs.com .

Norton Internet Security is also easy to use. I have used BlackICE Defender from NetworkICE, Sybergen Secure Desktop - which is now also repackaged as the McAfee Personal Firewall and a couple of others. They are all fine products and they work. Even though I am a technical person and can configure blocking and allow TCP services and IP protocols on a network pretty well, for peace of mind and with respect to time limitations, I recommend ZoneAlarm to my family and friends because it's simple and effective.

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