I don't mean to run this subject into the ground, but, since sending the past few notices about the latest virus threats, I've seen some replies that might indicate some users don't really understand about computer security problems and how to protect against them. Therefore, I'm going to give a short tutorial on the subject and hope that the information may keep more of you from becoming infected. There are several things I need to talk about here, so will just list them in categories. Actual info on Anti-Virus programs will be last. (I will recommend programs in each of the categories. Keep in mind that I'm only going to talk about the programs I use -- there are others, some not as good, and some as good. I endorse no product; I'm just going to tell you about the ones I use or have used in the past.) 1) FIREWALLS: A firewall is a computer program that blocks objectionable content while shielding the system from hackers, worms, and other threats. A good firewall will prevent individuals, other computers, and servers from entering your system via the Internet; it will also prevent YOUR computer from sending out information to others, from programs or utilities on your computer, such as "Call-Home" programs or other "Spy Ware". (More on spyware, and how to find and delete it, below.) Without a firewall, your system is open to others who can gain access via Internet connections, regardless of the type of connection. Without a good firewall, people can enter your system and steal files, plant trojans or worms, and even corrupt or erase your files. YOU ARE NOT PROTECTED AGAINST UNWANTED ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER VIA INTERNET CONNECTIONS BY ANY ANTI-VIRUS (AV) PROGRAM !!!!! You must have a firewall! If you have a cable connection, you are online 24/7; your computer is directly connected to the Internet at ALL times! Those who use a good firewall can attest to the dozens (sometimes hundreds) of intrusion attempts daily. I'm not going to count them, but just now looking at ZoneAlarm Pro, the firewall I use, I can see that my system has been queried (attempted entries) several HUNDRED times since midnight last night (about 18 hours ago) !!!!! Most are rated "Medium" risks, but there have been several dozen rated "High". All were stopped! If you use DSL or ordinary dialup connections, don't think you aren't at risk, or do not need a firewall. There are hackers out there who have set up automated programs on their servers to roam the Internet looking for open connections. These auto-bots can find your dialup connections in a matter of micro-seconds; and it doesn't take very long for them to do whatever they were programmed to do. EVERYONE NEEDS A GOOD FIREWALL !!! I use ZoneAlarm Pro (ZA Pro). It is rated by some security experts as the best protection you can get. There are other programs that some claim are just as good, and you can find them on the Web by doing a search for "Firewall". The regular ZoneAlarm (ZA) is free. The Pro version costs $49.95 and gives added protection for email, attachments, etc. It's up to you how much protection you want. Either program can be downloaded at: <http://www.zonelabs.com>. 2) SPYWARE FINDERS AND REMOVERS: It has been estimated that 75-80% of all home computer users have one or more "SpyWare" programs on their computers. Many users, running spyware finder programs, find literally HUNDREDS of spyware gremlins on their systems. Most of this spyware is not damaging to your SYSTEM, but can be very harmful to YOU by sending personal information to others, such as Social Security Numbers, email addresses, user IDs, usernames, passwords, your Web browsing habits, the files you have on your system, etc. If you don't use a firewall, you have no control over this spyware. It will send information without you knowing about it. So, the safest way to avoid spyware problems is to find the programs that have spyware and eliminate them. To find spyware finders and removers, do a search on the Web for "Spyware Program". I use two such detection programs, "Ad-Aware Plus" and "Spybot Search & Destroy". They do similar things, but you really need both of them. Each will catch some spyware the other misses. Between the two, you can remove all spyware from your system. Ad-Aware comes in a free basic version. The Plus version costs $26.95. Either can be found at: <http://www.lavasoft.de/>. Just because it's named "Ad-Aware" don't think it finds only Ad programs; it finds ANY spyware on your system. Spybot Search & Destroy is free. There are no paid-for versions. It can be found at: <http://safer-networking.org/>. It will also find malware, hijackers, dialers, keyloggers, trojans, etc. 3) AD & COOKIE BLOCKING PROGRAMS: There are dozens and dozens of these programs available. To find them all do a Web search for "Ad Blocker" or "Cookie Blocker". MS Internet Explorer and other web browsers have their own internal ad and cookie blockers, but they don't do as complete a job as good stand-alone programs. I use AdSubtract Pro, which will block all online ads & cookies. It blocks banner ads, Pop-Up and Pop-Under ads, text ads, and multimedia ads. It also silences Web site sounds and other bothersome multimedia animation. You can use "intelligent blocking" to enable InterMute's SmartPOP technology or "aggressive blocking" to prevent any Pop-Ups from appearing. The Pro version costs $29.95. There is a trial version which you can use free for 30 days, but it doesn't have all the blocking abilities that the Pro version has. You can find both versions at: <http://www.intermute.com/adsubtract/>. (The previous major version of AdSubtract had a free version. It is no longer available at the website, but I'm sure it can be found on the web. Lots of people probably still have the installation files for it sitting on their hard drives.) (continued in Part 2) Regards, SgtGeorge George W. Durman -- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 7.0.225 / Virus Database: 262.1.4 - Release Date: 3/3/04