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Introduction
The purpose of this page is not to present a comprehensive "white paper" on internet security. That is beyond my current capabilities and isn't necessary for the average beginning browser anyway. What I am trying to do is alert those PC users who have been so far blissfully unaware of the threats that exist to their PC’s and to their privacy. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions about this page feel free to CONTACT ME (Due to spam and viruses received from posting my e-mail  address I have placed it in a picture at the bottom of the page. Do not use the e-mail links!

NOTE: Since I no longer use Microsoft Windows to connect to the internet I have not been keeping 100% up to date with the numerous threats that face Windows users. I'm leaving this page up in the hopes that someone stumbling across it will be alerted to the serious threats that face internet users in regards to their privacy and the safe and optimal operation of their PC's. Since infected PC's are also responsible for a lot of problems for other Internet users you are also being a good Internet “neighbor” by securing your PC.  

The rapidly changing PC and Internet world are beyond the capabilities of someone such as myself to give absolute and concrete solutions to the threats and problems a new PC user faces. The focus of this page is therefore changing somewhat. While I'll continue to direct users to some software which from personal experience I can recommend as excellent and necessary, in other cases I'll also be directing users to some great pages where they can get true "expert" help or simply more detailed information than I have patience and knowledge to provide. However, I'm still most of all interested in hopefully alerting readers to the fact that they need to protect themselves and that it is not difficult to do so.

My own PC use has gone through a major change. I no longer, except in case of emergencies, connect to the internet with my Windows 98 PC. I have simple needs with games and software I use and too many times upgrading has deleted or made more difficult my access or use of my favorite software.  My Windows 98 PC is now a "legacy" PC, hopefully it will be able to do what I need it to do forever.

I've also become increasingly concerned with the direction Microsoft and other companies are taking regarding “digital rights”. More and more, when you purchase software, it seems you are not purchasing ownership of the software but instead granting the software vendor partial control over your PC (and unnecessary access) simply in exchange for the “right” to use the software for which you paid!

I want to be able to control what changes are made to my PC's setup and too many software vendors only grudgingly or even refuse to let you do that. I invariably find that “forced” upgrades reduce or eliminate features I use and replace them with features I do not. Often these “upgrades” interfere with the function of completely unrelated software.

Mostly because of this I'm beginning to switch from Microsoft and other proprietary software to “open source” software. Open source software grants you the right to modify and distribute the software you purchase under the terms of licenses like the Gnu Public License or a BSD style license. This means, for instance, you can make copies for yourself, your friends and your family without fear of lawsuits. Try doing that with Microsoft Office. I suggest visiting the Free Software Foundation pages for an introduction to the philosophy of “Free” software.

I now use Mandriva Linux 10.1 on the PC with which I connect to the internet. Since I've switched to Linux I have not run across any cases where installing one application affected the performance of another. I even had the motherboard in my first Linux PC burn out and was able to buy a new PC with no hard drive, slap the original hard drive in it and be up and running with only minor configuration difficulties (I upgraded to Mandrake 10.1 at that point and got everything working better than it originally did). In fact, most of the few reservations I had about Linux have been addressed to a large extent. Like other versions of Linux it is open source.  Most open source software is available for free by download or for a nominal cost to purchase the FULL installation CD's. For instance, my Mandrake 10.1 4 CD set which I used to upgrade from 10.0 cost only $6! What would a full set of Windows XP installation CD's cost (I upgraded to Mandrake 10.1 but the disks used were the full installation set)? Or even simply the upgrade CD's? 

Most open source software is now approaching and in some cases surpassing the established proprietary brands in reliability and functionality. Most also work for a variety of platforms including Linux and Windows. When I switched to Linux I started using Open Office to edit the web pages. Open Office is a FREE open source suite of applications that, so far as I've been able to determine, does everything that I ever needed to do with Microsoft Office as easily and as well as I could with Microsoft Office. If you run Windows 98 it does more! I'm now using another FREE open source program called Nvu to create the new web pages that will appear on my new site and I am very pleased with it. I've long since switched to Mozilla Firefox as my primary web browser, even when I still used Windows 98 to browse the web. When I installed the Kodak EasyShare software for my digital camera on my Windows 98 PC it caused major problems and I had to uninstall it. Fortunately I discovered gPhoto2 (another FREE open source program) which allowed me to instead upload the pictures to my Linux PC.

You will notice, as you read my pages, I like free or very low cost software. My recommendations are almost always for software that is free. In some cases an advanced pay version is available but the free version usually is at least minimally sufficient. Open source software is usually available for free download from their respective websites. It is usually also possible to purchase cd's of the software for a nominal price. Most Linux distributions can be purchased for less than $20. For installation on my Windows PC I purchased the Open Office CD for $6.99 + $5 shipping! Compare that to the price of Microsoft Office! Open Office appears to be a standard with most Linux installations using KDE or Gnome as the desktop.

Enough about my software choices, on to the purpose of this page. While most of this was written for Windows 98 a lot of it pertains to anyone who uses the internet or anything from another PC other than their own, even Linux, Mac or BSD users. One particular point of difference that may effect you is whether or not you have an “always on” internet connection such as DSL or cable. If you do it is CRUCIAL to make sure your antivirus and firewall are also always on. Upon installation most of them default to run at startup anyway.

What Threats Are Out There?
There are a myriad of threats waiting for one who "surfs" the web or receives e-mail, ranging in severity from minor annoyances to the possible crash or loss of control of your computer. Things "happen" to a PC, often without the user being aware it is happening. Viruses, spyware, auto-installing applications, web bugs, zombie-bots, hackers, malevolent javascripts, the list goes on and on and the attackers get cleverer and cleverer. Is it possible to protect yourself? It is possible, for the most part, to protect yourself from all but the most determined attacks. While a proficient hacker may eventually be able to get into even heavily guarded systems there are enough easy targets out there that a system with some protection is likely to be passed by for easier pickings. If you have not been actively working to protect yourself you already have "spyware" and who knows what else installed without your permission or your knowledge on your PC! For instance, it was recently discovered that a great deal of spam is forwarded through certain virus infected Windows PC's. In most cases the users only knew that their PC was slower. For a more detailed explanation of why spyware is bad check out Counterexploitation CEXX.org. For no other reason than common courtesy towards other PC and Internet users you should protect yourself. Allowing your PC to be used as a conduit for attacks on others or passing on viruses or other problems to your friends and coworkers is as bad as getting attacked yourself.

What Should You Do?
There are five directions your personal security setup should take.
First, acquire the necessary software. At an absolute minimum you should have antivirus software and a personal firewall. For more protection I would recommend adding anti-spyware and active content software.
Second, make sure you scan your system frequently, at least once per week, with regularly updated security software. Most software can be set to scan automatically at certain times and most software vendors have a home page where you can update your software. A lot of software now has auto-update capability but I prefer to have it happen when I want it to update. It doesn't really matter which way you update as long as you update frequently. The software won't do you much good if it's out of date and with new threats appearing every day it becomes out of date very quickly. A few minutes per week updating your software is a fraction of the time it would take to reinstall your operating system or replace your data after an attack of some sort.
Third, make sure your browser is set up properly so that you are at least prompted before certain functions such as active x controls activate. I don't leave javascript enabled unless I know I'm visiting only safe sites. Make sure cookies are set for session only, if at all. Click here to see my currently suggested browser settings for Internet Explorer 6 (BROWSER SETTINGS) for an idea on what level you should set up your browser security. Better yet, download and install Mozilla Firefox and use that for your internet browsing.
Fourth, NEVER NEVER NEVER click ok or yes on any window or message that pops up on your screen while browsing the internet unless you know you are and want to install or download something from that site. Read the messages carefully as some nasty sites try to trick you. Some of the worst software installs itself only with the users permission.
Fifth, keep yourself informed. There are several great newsletters available with free subscriptions (and some at minimal cost) which will alert you to what's happening in the PC and the internet world. Most of these are written in an easy to understand style. Just as you don't have to be a professional mechanic or race car driver to know how to safely operate a car you don't have to be Microsoft certified or a software engineer to know how to safely operate your PC. For some suggestions see my newsletter list at the end of the page.

Your Filesystem
One thing beginning PC users (and a lot of experienced PC users) are not careful of is the setup and organization of their filesystem. Files get saved, downloaded and stored helter skelter all over the hard drive, depending on the particular application. Many users have difficulty finding files right after they’ve saved them. If you're on a network, this is even more important. Files stored locally won't be available if you log in at a different work station. It may become difficult to locate important files, especially if you change applications (for instance, changing from Corel to MS Office, both have their own default save locations). Worse yet, your hard drive ends up cluttered with lost, essentially useless files scattered all over the place.
A simple way to minimize these problems is to change the default save directories for every application you use so that ALL files are saved to a single directory, for instance to My Documents in Windows. Create subdirectories for all categories of files, for example create a subdirectory to store letter drafts, a subdirectory to store downloaded software, a subdirectory for projects you are working on, etc. If you save all your files to the same area and set up all your default saves to the same area you will never have to waste time looking for a file, even if you can't remember the name. I also suggest periodically going in and organizing your files. Think of your PC as a big file cabinet with drawers containing big folders that hold smaller folders and so on. If it’s organized correctly it’s easy to find what you need to find. There's a path that leads to each file. If you start to understand file paths you are on your way to understanding how your PC works.

First, A Quick Test
Before installing any of the suggested software I am suggesting that you go to Steve Gibson's website and follow the links to his quick and simple Shields Up! tests. Put your PC to the test, this will give you an idea of just how vulnerable your system is to attack.

Installing and Setting Up Your Security Software

Backup Your PC!
It is a good idea to back up your system before installing new software or making any system configuration changes! Despite this warning advised by every computer expert, most people, myself included, do not do this often enough. If you have the means to do it by all means make regular system backups and drive images.

System Startup – Windows
Click the Start button on your PC, then Run. Type msconfig in the box and click OK. This opens the Windows System Configuration Utility. Right now we are only looking so please be very careful what you do at this point as a mistake can have grave consequences! Click the Startup tab. It should be the one on the far right. It will show every program that starts up and runs when you turn your PC on. The only programs that HAVE to run at startup in Windows 98 are ScanRegistry, Task Monitor, System Tray and Load Power Profile (may not be present, may be there twice). If msconfig shows more than these programs running at startup your PC's boot may be unnecessarily complex. Hit cancel to exit and do not save changes unless you meant to make them. For more information on startup, a list of programs that you may find running at startup and what they do check out another great website HERE.

Software
I like three things with my software. I like it to be easy to install, I like it to be easy to use and I really like it to be free. The software I recommend is usually very easy to install and use. I realize that most people do not have the time, interest or energy to read detailed manuals and spend hours tweaking and maintaining their PC's. Most of the recommended programs on these pages install easily and offer protection in their default settings. Of course, you can always increase your protection by learning and tweaking the settings on many of these programs. One thing you do not usually get with free software is technical support. However, any software that does the job soon gains a following and usually has user support forums springing up. Most vendors point users towards these forums but if not check Google Groups.

Now you are ready to start acquiring software. I will try to present the software in a logical installation order. Some of the software is optional, even if it is extremely useful. You can sometimes install the software from the download site, however, I recommend saving the installation files to your hard drive so you have a backup copy for reinstallation if necessary. Unless otherwise specified all of the software I mention is free! Keep in mind that this is a minimum startup list of software. You will certainly add more as you become more experienced and may even find superior replacements on your own. If you do let me know!

Antivirus Software – Most PC's shipped with an installed operating system come with at least a trial version of an antivirus program. If yours does not have antivirus software you HAVE to get it. Anti-Vir Personal Edition is free and from everything I've heard works very well. I've tried both and like it better than Free-AVG. I used to use Norton Antivirus which worked very well (it came with my PC) but is not free and it does slow some programs (it probably wouldn't have an effect on a newer, faster PC – I'm still only running 366 mHz on my Windows 98 PC). There are several sites where you can run a scan of your PC from online sites (Panda Software, Housecall). They often picked up things that Norton missed. However, while they will detect and probably remove viruses once infected they won't prevent you from getting infected in the first place. I strongly recommend using your installed antivirus program PLUS periodically scanning from the Panda or Housecall sites. Whatever antivirus program you decide on it should do at least these two things. One, it should offer free updates or a subscription to updates. Since new threats pop up every day your protection will be outdated very quickly if not updated. Two, it should offer “active content protection” for both web browsing and e-mail. This means that it checks each e-mail and script you open or run from a web page. Virus writers are getting cleverer and more determined. This is one area where it pays to keep informed about what's going on. Some notes about viruses.

Firewalls – A firewall is also necessary for safe browsing. While I've previously recommended Zone Alarm's free firewall it's makers seem to be increasingly leaning towards behaviour that I at least consider extremely annoying if not unethical. My current choice for a personal firewall is the Sygate Personal Firewall. It provides the protection and ease of use that most users require although it takes some digging to find it on their website. My second choice would be the Kerio Personal Firewall although the version I have is somewhat tedious to configure.

Anti-Spyware Software – While this isn't yet as critical as antivirus software or a firewall it can make a difference. Removing spyware made a noticeable improvement in the performance of PC's where I work. I recommend a two-pronged approach to spyware by using both Spybot Search & Destroy and Lavasoft's Ad-aware. They are both free and often complement each other, one picking up things the other misses. Pest Patrol also works but it is not free and I don't like it for much the same reason I don't like Zone Alarm.

Particular Software Recommendations
Startup Monitor and Startup Control Panel – I would actually recommend installing at least Startup Monitor before installing any other software. It is a great little piece of software written by Mike Lin (I believe he was 17 years old at the time although now he is at M.I.T.). What it does is warn you when software you are installing is trying to set itself up to run at system startup and allow you the option of preventing this. Startup Control Panel allows you to examine in detail what programs are running at startup and allows you to make changes.
Sygate Personal Firewall – Easy to use and a whole lot less intrusive than Zone Alarm, the free Sygate Personal Firewall is now the firewall that I run most of the time. Sygate also offers more advanced firewalls for purchase so if you desire even more security and technical support. Another free firewall that works just as well if not better but seems to be more tedious to configure is the Kerio Personal Firewall. Either one seems to be a great firewall. There are others out there but these are the only two I have tested. If you're willing to do the research you might find a choice that suits you better. Of course, if you run Linux you should already have shorewalls and iptables installed.
The Proxomitron – Sadly, the developer of the Proxomitron has discontinued development and support. It is still available for now at mirror sites and there is a smattering of support available. The Proxomitron is a web filter that acts as a proxy server between your browser and the internet. In its default configuration it blocks more than 99% of popup ads, freezes slow-loading animated gif's and blocks many of the slow-loading banner ads as well (it replaces them with [ad]). Once you learn enough about it to play around with its features you will find it can do a whole lot more. It protects you from many silent "attacks". Its features and capabilities are too many and too involved to cover here and while it does require a bit of system tweaking (you have to configure your internet connection setup to use a proxy server) to get it working, easy instructions (with pictures) are provided. I suggest you check out the site and see for yourself. This software is so good that apparently one or some of the sleazeballs that make the stuff it blocks have tried to shut the site down with denial of service attacks. It will be missed once it is gone.
Ad-aware - Many programs and websites attempt to install small programs, cookies, etc on your PC that contact the source and alert them to the fact that you are online as well as having the potential to do much greater mischief. At the least your bandwidth is being stolen and your browsing habits are being monitored! Ad-aware has been the subject of some controversy because they dropped support without notification for a period while they were rewriting the code but they seem to be back on track. It is still, in my opinion, the best free spyware locator and remover available.
Spybot - Search & Destroy – Spybot does much the same as Ad-aware plus it can help you eliminate usage tracks which can allow someone with access to your PC to see what you've been working on in many programs. It also allows you to see exactly where spyware is installed on your system. I recommend using both Spybot and Ad-aware as a one-two punch in the battle against spyware to catch things that slip through the cracks at one or the other.
EndItAll (now EndItAll2) is a neat little utility that shuts down all unnecessary running processes when you are ready to shut down your PC, when you are installing new software or when you are preparing to perform system maintenance such as Scandisk or Disk Defragmenter. You will find that your shutdowns go much more quickly with less risk of crash if you use EndItAll first. Scandisk and Defrag will also run without interruption. If EndItAll has trouble shutting down a program, first right-click and protect it (in EndItAll), shut down the others, then right-click and unprotect it, then shut it down. I do not recommend, unless you know what you're doing, unprotecting programs that EndItAll has protected by default.
Surf In Peace – A tiny application that you can use while browsing to kill those annoying pop-up windows. Although you have to configure it for each new window you encounter once configured you will never be bothered by that popup again. This is especially helpful if you are going back and forth between pages in a website and a window pops up each time. It only takes a few seconds, right-click the icon in the system tray, click the configure button, click the add button, click list browser windows, select the offending window and click ok. The pop-up will disappear forever! Click close configuration until you need it again. Total time, maybe 2 seconds. However, if you are using the Proxomitron, mentioned previously, or Mozilla Firefox, you will rarely need to use Surf In Peace.

Active Content Protection
Many security programs such as ZoneAlarm and Norton Antivirus now contain some "active content protection". Simply put, "active content protection" protects against software that, while not identified as a known threat, acts in a suspiciously potentially harmful manner on your PC. It is another important layer in your defense against attacks on your PC and is especially useful in defending against harmful scripts. I used to recommend a program called SurfinGuard Pro until their latest upgrade caused me to have to reformat my hard drive (twice!). I tried software called SafeTNet from Pelican Security which I really liked but which cost way more than I could justify spending. Still, if you want to be safe... There is a free program called Script Sentry available from Jason Levine which helps greatly in this manner but you may need to disable it to visit some pages as it works automatically without prompting you for confirmation. This is one area where having complete network, internet and system security is most likely going to cost money. I'm still searching for a more viable solution. At this point I would have to recommend Spyware Blaster as the most viable choice.

What Now?
Now that you have acquired and installed all this software go back to Steve Gibson's website and once again run the Shields Up! test. You should be amazed at the difference! You may also want to try Gibson's Leak Test utility to help test your firewall configuration. If you would like to try more detailed and comprehensive tests go to DSL Reports and run their tests.
If you are deciding on new software, before you make your final choice visit Spychecker or Tom-Cat. These sites will inform you if the software you are about to purchase or install contains known spyware.

Is It Really Worth Going to All This Bother?
Yes, in my opinion, it certainly is. Unless you feel comfortable with the fact that strangers are gathering data about your online habits, strangers are planting programs on your PC to use solely for their benefit which can be doing anything from reporting your browsing habits to their "owner", going through the files on your PC for who knows what purpose or even taking control of your PC at times to use for their purposes (at the very least, they are using some of your bandwidth for their spying), viruses are being written every day that can do anything up to wiping out data on your hard drive after first e-mailing themselves, without your knowledge, to everyone in your address book and any number of other new threats springing up every day. If you keep ANY personal data on your PC these steps are essential for your personal protection! YOU AND ONLY YOU can make sure you have protected yourself! The time involved amounts to minutes of effort per week once you're set up properly. Besides, the only reason these slimeballs continue to create spyware, scumware, viruses, trojans, etc. is because they work. The reason they work is because too many people make no effort to protect themselves. Everyone is harmed when one person doesn't act to protect themselves!

MINIMUM Recommended System Maintenance Schedule
This is a minimum recommended maintenance schedule for the optimum security and performance of you PC. You certainly won't be hurting anything if you do any or all of these things more frequently.
Daily - Run a complete virus scan on your primary hard drive. If you do not contact other PC's (use the internet or e-mail, share disks, etc.) frequently with your PC you can do this less frequently.
Weekly - Run Ad-aware to scan for spyware*. Check your antivirus vendor's website (save in Favorites) for updates (you may be able to subscribe and automatically update). Update Ad-aware and Spybot for updates. Run a complete virus scan on your entire PC (not necessary if you have only one drive partition (such as the C drive in Windows) and have already been scanning it daily). Check the Windows Update*** site for security and other updates for Windows, Internet Explorer and other Microsoft products you may be using. Make sure you have installed all the critical updates! Microsoft had announced they were dropping support for Windows 98 in January 2004 but to their credit, after realizing that there were still an enormous number of users, they have postponed obsolescence until I believe June 2006. 
Monthly - Run Disk Cleanup**, Scandisk and Disk Defragmenter from Windows System Tools. Check for updates for your firewall and any other security software you are running.

* I would recommend scanning with Ad-aware or Spybot after every internet browsing session where you visit unfamiliar pages or click on any ads.
** There are several commercial disk cleanup utilities that are more effective.
*** Microsoft has been caught! It has been proven that Microsoft, in at least Windows XP, was scanning user's entire PC's when they update and transmitting a list of the installed software and the hardware configuration of the machine to their server. This, I'm sure, is an attempt to build a database for enforcement of the TCPA if they manage to pay off enough Congressmen to get the bill rammed through Congress.

Here are some more links to great software and information about PC's and the Internet:
Aida...Shows you what is currently set up and running on your PC. A great tool for helping check your hardware and software setup. I've recommended the Belarc Advisor (below) for a long time. Now I recommend using both as they each have their particular strong points.
Belarc Advisor…Another program which will show you almost everything that is on your PC! It shows your hardware with model numbers, serial numbers and versions, hard drives with space available, memory, printers, Microsoft hotfixes, software licenses, applications installed (and where they're installed) and more.
DSL Reports...You can run security checks on your setup (more in depth than the Shields Up! tests) or other tests. Tons of information about broadband connections.
Karen's Power Tools...Karen Kenworthy creates great power utilities which she is kind enough to share with the rest of us for FREE. A must check page as you become a more advanced user.
PC Hell...A free PC help page. Unlike my ramblings and startout tips these guys are real professionals.
PRC View…PRC View lets you see exactly what is happening on your PC. Nothing can hide from it! It requires slightly more advanced knowledge to use some of its features but it's a great program nonetheless.
Jason's Tool Box…Jason Levine has created several great programs for you to use. His Cookie Jar allows you to manage the cookies on your PC. Script Sentry blocks unauthorized scripts from running on your PC.
JPG Cleaner…A lot of graphics programs add a lot of unnecessary data to your pictures. While it may contain useful information (camera settings, etc.) it may also allow the various software vendors to identify graphics created with their software (for what purpose is not clear - I suspect in the future they will be trying to license themselves as owners of graphics YOU create with their software). If you download a lot of pictures the wasted space starts to add up. JPG Cleaner strips this crap out of the pictures without affecting the quality of the picture in the least. This software can also be found at Tinyapps.org (link below).
Open Office...Open Office is a free (for download) open source full office suite of applications similar to Microsoft Office or Corel Word Perfect. After only a few weeks of use I'm convinced that it does everything MS Office does except empty your wallet. The newest version of Open Office uses the new XML file format which seems to be the coming standard amongst non-MS offfice suites. Microsoft has reluctantly agreed to support XML but only in Office 2003. Of course, first you also have to upgrade to Windows XP (or 2000, I believe)... Another great open source program.
Tinyapps.org…Unlike the bloated and clumsy code that comes with a majority of Windows' programs virtually every program on this site is less than 1MB in size. Most are much less. If you're used to the smart, tightly coded apps that are the norm for for Linux, BeOS, UNIX, etc. you'll like these programs. I can recommend the OffByOne Browser (at last check their home page was gone), a bare bones browser that is less than 1 MB in size (compare to 10+ MB for Mozilla, 16+ MB for Opera, 30+ MB for Internet Explorer and I believe 35+ MB for AOL) and the i.FTP ftp client which does everything I need an ftp client to do and weighs in at a miniscule 312 kb. I won't, of course, neglect to mention that these programs are FREE!
WinImp...WinImp is an old (designed, I believe, for Windows 95 originally) freeware archiving utility similar to WinZip. After testing it for approximately 30 seconds I uninstalled WinZip and never looked back.

Here is a short list of sites that, aside from having great content, also publish essential internet Newsletters:
Langa.com...At one time or another since he began publication Fred Langa's newsletter has probably covered every issue that has ever arisen with the various incarnations of Windows. In virtually every instance he or his vast pool of readers have come up with a solution or a viable alternative to every one of those issues. It has also introduced me to a great deal of excellent software. You can subscribe to his newsletter from his site or from the link at the top of this page. If you use Windows it's a must!
Electronic Frontier Foundation…These guys are at the front in the battle to product the digital rights of consumers and the general public. Subscribe to their newsletter to stay on top of what's happening and be informed of action you can take to help yourself. Possibly the most important organization for internet users today.
SpywareInfo…Almost everything you could want to know about spyware and its nefarious relatives. Subscribe to the newsletter to keep informed about new threats and issues with anti-spyware software.
Gibson Research Corporation…His newsletter doesn't come out very often but it always has some interesting info.
Internet Tourbus…Take a ride on the Internet Tourbus! A quick, easy read that nonetheless often manages to provide links to important information and links to great pages. If you don't have time to read lengthy, detailed newsletters try this one. They seem to eventually get around to every important PC issue as well as a lot of fun stuff!

There is a growing tendency among hardware and software vendors to clamp down on your rights as a consumer. Unless they are stopped quickly (there is currently proposed legislation in many states and at the Federal level that will impact your rights) companies such as Time-Warner and Microsoft, among others, will have more control over what you do on your PC than you do. Here is a short list of sites that are working to protect your Digital Rights:
Boycott-RIAA…Dedicated to protecting your "fair use" rights and reforming copyright laws to bring them in step with the digital age.
Chilling Effects Clearing House...Specializing in reporting abuse towards private individuals and consumers by organizations misusing laws like the DMCA and other copyright and patent laws.
Counterexploitation…Spyware, scumware, web bugs, foistware and all the other unethical things done by unscrupulous web programmers to exploit the unwary and uninformed. These guys hate it all and work to combat it and inform the masses.
Electronic Frontier Foundation…At the forefront of the battle to protect comsumers in the rapidly evolving area of digital rights.
Privacy International…Concerned with the increasing lack of protection for the privacy of the individual, both digitally and otherwise.
Stop Policeware…Working against legislation that will force you to install “spyware” on your own PC which will allow your PC use to be monitored by various hardware and software manufacturers (and the government?) and will grant them the ability to limit what hardware and software you can install on your PC and control how you use it.
Windows1984…Reports on technological advances and legislation that brings us ever closer to the dystopian nightmare future predicted in George Orwell's classic book, 1984.

Any questions, comments or suggestions about this page please feel free to CONTACT ME!    Use address shown in picture to send mail!

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