Suite security!

Isn't it disgusting what lengths we have to go to nowadays to just protect ourselves online:

• Anti-Virus software that even checks your email (outgoing as well as incoming)
• Cookie blockers
• Anti-Spam software
• Anti-Phishing software
• Anti-Spyware software
• Firewall software

I personally use ZoneAlarm Security Suite for AntiVirus (from Computer Associates, really), Anti-Spam, and Firewall, though the new version of the firewall checks so much in depth that I still get a bunch of pop-ups to authorize a program to do its thing.

Fred Langa has always recommeded a multi-pronged approach that even uses more than one AntiSpyware program. My current favorite is Microsoft's AntiSpyware (Beta). It has seemed to do the most thorough job of both detecting and cleaning our spyware. But I use Ad-Aware SE Personal and SpyBot as a backup. If I detect spyware with Microsoft's AntiSpyware, I then use Ad-Aware and SpyBot to do a second and third "sweep" of the computer. No single product catches everything.

I control third-party "cookies" and prevent the display of many third-party pop-up ads via MSIE 6 settings. I even check over cookies with the IE Cookies View. Nearly all cookies are "OK" ... there's some undeserved paranoia about cookies. Some cookies are, in fact, good for you (yum!). These type cookies can save your preferences for a particular site so that you don't have to choose them everyh time you visit that site. The few bad cookies that might harm your 'puter's digestion ruin it for the vast majority of "good cookies".

Internet Explorer 7 is supposed to add some Anti-Phishing capabilities. We'll see. Meanwhile, I try to stay very cautious about what messages I even open. And if I didn't ask for an attachment, I usually won't open it without checking with the alleged sender first.

Step right up and get your security suite for free:

• AVG Antivirus Free edition
• Zonealarm basic
• All the Anti-Spyware mentioned above is free