Anti-Virus, FireWalls, Parental Control, Privacy etc
Spam Anti-Virus Firewalls Parental Control Cyber Stalkers Privacy Links Critical Updates
Read this page and follow instructions if you ever use the 'cc' tool in your e-mails - sending mail to more than one recipient. Use 'Bcc' instead (Blind Carbon Copy)
I was getting inundated with unsolicited e-mails (spam) - as many as 50 a day. In desperation, after several months, I started replying to them, asking them to remove me from their mailing lists. However, all the advice says NOT to do this. This simply alerts the spammers that your e-mail address is an active one, which they then sell on to other companies. MailWasher checks your e-mails and identifies spam, viruses etc BEFORE they reach your computer. You can choose to delete and/or bouce the messages (making the senders believe your e-mail address does not exist) - before downloading the messages you do want, into your normal e-mail programme.
Computer viruses are small programmes that arrive via e-mail, disks or downloads - and replicate on your computer causing damage to programmes and/or hard drive. Many of them replicate to others via the e-mail addresses in your address book. They will send e-mails to all those addresses (without your knowledge), infecting those computers too.
You need anti-virus software!!
The most popular anti-virus programmes are Norton and McAfee. But you must also update your virus files regularly, ideally weekly. You can set your anti-virus programme to remind you - and it's only a case of clicking the right button!
Learn more about Viruses and latest Alerts at GetVirusHelp.com
GetVirusHelp.com gives simple explanations & has "cleaner" programmes for most of the major threats. It also has a mailing list that will notify you about high risk viruses and hoaxes.
Norton Virus News & Encyclopaedia - Including Hoaxes
McAfee Virus Information Library
Microsoft Internet Explorer Security (Download patches for Internet Explorer & Outlook Express)
AVG AntiVirus - free downloadable
Trend - Downloadable Virus Protection
Trend also provide House Call - PC-Cillin's Free Online Virus Scanner
firewallcheck.com - check your anti-virus software
downloadable anti-virus and cleaner programmes
Security Update - Latest virus threats
Virus removal tools at Symantec
McAfee Virus News (with link to online virus scanner etc)
Indefence.com M@ilDefense - scans incoming emails for harmful codes
Go to www.grc.com and click on Shields Up - that will tell you how vulnerable your computer is. Firewalls will protect you against other computers accessing your files (credit card information?), and from damaging your files and hard drives, and protect your privacy too - information about YOU! (E-Mail address, what websites you visit, what software you use etc)
ZoneAlarm is a free downloadable FireWall that effectively creates a barrier between your computer and the rest of the world - controlling what information comes in etc. More info and download Zone Alarm 2.1.44 from this site
Norton and McAfee also have Firewalls, but they're not free, and are considered to be no better than the free ZoneAlarm.
More free downloadable firewalls here
Critical Updates - Microsoft & Netscape are continually creating updates to their software to plug security risks in their programmes - see this page
Parental Control programmes filter the content on web pages. You have control over the settings, so can choose what your child is able to view or not view on web pages. The programme will block pages/sites with inappropriate content.
Parental Control - all the choices
Norton Internet Security (Family Edition)
Includes a Firewall, Parental Control and Anti-Virus software
Internet Explorer also has a content control - click on Tools, then Internet Options, then Content
Netscape has NetWatch
Get Net Wise Kids Online Safety Guide
ChildrenBrowser.com A Browser especially for children
Internet Content Rating Association
If you have the misfortune to be troubled by an cyber stalker - go to WiredPatrol.org
They featured in this Reader's Digest article
This link will take you directly to their Privacy Analyser (of your internet connection)
Being Traced over the Internet
All About Internet Privacy & Security
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Your Internet Privacy at Surfer Beware
Internet Watch Foundation - Report harmful/illegal material here!
Internet Security - The Basics
CERT Current Internet Security Alerts
Computer & Internet Security Links
InvisiMail Lite E-Mail Encryption Software