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From...
Stop the snoops!
August 11, 1998
Web posted at: 9:00 AM EDT
by Mark Gibbs and Michael S. Lasky
(IDG) -- Admit it: you've got files on your computer you wouldn't want anyone else to see--employee evaluations, your monthly sales figures, maybe even a love letter from a colleague. Come to think of it, you probably have e-mail you'd rather keep private, too. And as for your surfing habits, well, it's nobody's business but your own where you go on the Web and what you see--right?
Unfortunately, staying private in the digital age isn't easy. Even if a thief never steals files off your PC, you leak information about yourself just by going online. Going private offers tips on how to keep your files and online activities confidential.
In this article, we tell you which products are best for implementing your new security plan. We reviewed 28 anticookie, antispam, and encryption utilities--as well as a few other security tools--that promise to keep snoops at bay, at home or in the office. We encountered a lot of duds, but we found at least one product in each category that's worth installing.
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We also looked at a handful of futuristic products that herald a growing trend in security: biometrics. These devices use physiological measurements such as fingerprints and iris scans to grant data access. In Body blocks: the future of security is in biometrics, we found that the latest retail biometry products work well--just be prepared to share a little more with your computer than you're accustomed to.
A lot of security utilities, especially cheap shareware and freeware packages, are of questionable value. Check out our favorites with a healthy dose of Shareware skepticism.
Corporate Safety
Protecting your own data is one thing; what if you must keep your entire company's data safe? Take two aspirin and read Security in the wired workplace, our guidelines when implementing a corporatewide security plan.
Do you accept cookies from strangers? Probably not, except when you surf the Web. Despite their presumptuous aggressiveness, most varieties of cookies are beneficial. The tracking cookie is the one that's hard to swallow.
You probably won't want to impose a total ban on cookies, either--many sites, such as The New York Times require you to accept a cookie before they permit you to browse. That's where a third-party cookie stopper can come in handy. Check out the ones we like in Cookie killers.
Follow these handy tips to quickly and easily Say no to spam, Foil e-mail eavesdroppers, and Put your file folders under lock & key.
Leaving no stone unturned, we also take a look at candid cameras, password protectors, and sharing systems in More security products.
Finally, if your head is swimming from immersion in security terminology, get your bearings back with our glossary, Security speak.
Your best defense
Strong security for your PC is easy to come by--and easy on your wallet. For a modest cash outlay, our four Best Buys will protect your data from a range of risks.
Cookie Pal 1.2
If you don't like the idea of having your Web visits monitored, filter or block surveillance cookies with our top-pick cookie manager, the $15 Cookie Pal 1.2, one of the few useful cookie stoppers we saw.
SpamScan97
When it comes to canning spam, SpamScan97 is our favorite. With a perfect spam-killing record in our tests and a generous array of useful options, this $23 utility helps you fight the scourge of every e-mail user.
PGP for Personal Privacy
Your best bet for securing your e-mail from snooping outsiders is PGP for Personal Privacy. Easy to install, simple to use, and full of extensive encryption features, this $40 program is a winner.
SecureWin
Last, for easy, effective file and folder encryption, we recommend SecureWin. Its long list of useful features--some of which are unique--and reasonable $50 price tag earn it recognition as our top file-encryption program.