How many business owners use DSL, cable or other fast modem hookup to get on the internet? I use a 56k modem myself, but because I test most of my programming online, I am on 10 to 16 hours a day.

Hackers like to get into sites that are online all the time. If you have a super fast modem like DSL or the like, and you leave your computer on, your online. Hackers like to get into your computer, get your financial information, plant programs to hack into other sites without a trace, or just wreck havoc on your computer.

Here is another scenario, Do you use programs like Netscape, Go!zilla, or Real Player? Did you know that they contain programming to send information from your computer to their server? These are not the only programs with spyware built in. So I've been told, they can send every program you've downloaded and what address you got it from.

Believe what you wish, but I believe that anything can happen. What can we do to prevent any of the above or worse from happening? I've been studying this.

Let's look at some sites that rummage through your computer and show you what they see. What we are going to learn is how vulnerable we are.

• http://www.secure-me.net/secureme_go
  
• http://grc.com
  
• http://www.sdesign.com/securitytest/index.html
  
• http://www.hackerwhacker.com/

After these sites have ransacked your computer, let's see what we can do to prevent it from happening again. A good fire wall will be a good start. The fire wall I prefer is ZoneAlarm from ZoneLabs. These fire walls are free to the public, although if used for business, they ask for a small payment. The average prices I've seen are around $20, but compare for yourself.

• http://www.zonelabs.com/
  
• http://www.electrocities.com/nukenabber.htm
  
• http://www.sygate.com/

I've found a program that will shut web pages down that use cookies and tracking programs. It will log and keep track of sites that want to keep track of you. Said better, you can see who's been watching you. The program is called IDcide. I really like the play on words. Find this program at:

http://www.idcide.com

Do you want to know what software is telling on you? This web site will help you learn this.

http://www.spychecker.com/

Find the programs you like, some of these sites may give you other ideas to choose from. Install what you like, then go back to the first list, the sites that ripped through your computer. Try them again. What happened? What I hope I did was open some minds to the possibilities that can and are happening on the internet.

It is my belief that businesses want to keep their trade secrets... secret.