Security and privacy online will continue to be a challenge. Most of us will never be completely private while online. Forty years ago I used to browse at Chicago's Modern Bookstore (AKA the Communist bookstore) on Chicago Ave. near Loyola University's downtown campus. As you left the shop, you could look across the street at a second story window and see a camera mounted on a tripod pointed at the door of the shop. I assume my picture is in an FBI file somewhere showing me smiling and waving at the camera. Privacy is more of a concept than a fact these days.

Still there are some things one can do to make online computer use safer and less irritating.

• First use an operating system with features that allow security measures to be taken. These include Windows XP Professional, Mac OS X, Linux, UNIX and a few minor OSs only used by extreem geeks. These OSs may not be secure out of the box but they can be made to operate securely.
  
• Use a firewall product that allows you to specify the filtering rules in detail. I prefer Kerio Personal Firewall because it gives me the ability to compose rules directly, learn its own rules as I work, never interferes with my computer and is free for personal use at home.
  
• Use a highly-rated and well-supported anti-virus program. I use (and recommend) AVG from Grisoft. AVG is a new design and architecture that employs a single powerful detection engine for use by each subsystem being monitored (i.e., email, RAM, boot sector, browser, download, executables, document scripts). Unlike Norton and McAfee, it never interferes with the Windows OS or causes problems with other software. And of course they have a free version for non-commercial use at home.
  
• Use a program designed to monitor your startup settings so Internet sites and trojans can't introduce mischief without your knowledge. I prefer WinPatrol Plus from BillP Studios. This very nifty program stays in the background using very few system resources but quitely barks (woofs) if anyone tries to add or change a startup program. There is a free version available but I paid the USD 19.95 for the Plus version which documents the purpose of everything that's started when you boot your system. It takes care of startup folders, the registry, .BAT files, the works, and lets you easily manage your computing environment for speed and safety.
  
• Run some type of adware/spyware catcher. I've recently replaced my free veresion of Ad-Aware because they seem no longer to be updating the product. If these programs aren't regularly updated, they quickly become useless. I've switched to the very highly recommend Spybot Search & Destroy. Spybot is free but donations are accepted. There is no penalty in function or support if you choose not to donate. The author is passionate about fighting spyware and the program is very thorough.
  
• If you have two or more computers in a network at home, your internet connection should be connected to a router with its own internal firewall. Mine is wireless and made by D-Link.
  

It's not by design but it's interesting to note that all of the security products I use were developed in countries outside the U.S. I don't claim to be immune from every possible attack but I have taken a few steps to minimize risk.

I do use the Google Tool Bar and have no trouble with it. They include, at your option, a program that lets you donate unused CPU cycles to a worldwide supercomputing project. I tried that but found I don't like it running all the time so I've turned it off. It does do a good job of preventing most popups and allows you permit popups on specific sites if they are a desireable part of the content at the site. My other security/privacy tools prevent my being tracked in any personally identifiable way. I'm not as paranoid as some people but I am a computing professional with a good understanding of what is possible and what is reasonable.

It's a pain to have to take all the precautions but once installed and understood, these steps will take much of the worry out of being online.

      - Mark