IN THIS FREE EDITION:

0. EDITORIAL: The future of computing

1. TOP TECH SITES AND RESOURCES

1.1 More Free Software from Microsoft
1.2 Windows Stop Messages Explained
1.3 Free Online Photoshop-like Image Editor
1.4 Impressive Online Visio-like Drawing Program
1.5 The Best Site for Outlook Problems
1.6 Free Online Project Tracking/Invoicing Service (Premium Edition)
1.7 How to Run Windows Defender on Win2K (Premium Edition)
1.8 Outstanding Site for Free Digital Photo Software (Premium Edition)

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2. TOP FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE UTILITIES

2.1 Review: Comodo BOClean V4.23
2.2 Free Utility Removes Unwanted Software from New PCs
2.3 Options for Limiting User Rights in XP
2.4 An Alternative to Sandboxing
2.5 Linux as an Alternative to Vista Part 3
2.6 Free System Information Utility
2.7 Free Spell-checker Fixes Outlook Express Problems
2.8 A Powerful Free File Cataloging Program (Premium Edition)
2.9 Add Firefox Style In-page Search to Internet Explorer (Premium Edition)
2.10 More Free Vista Features for XP Users (Premium Edition)

3. SECURITY PATCHES, SERVICE RELEASES AND UPDATES

3.1 Microsoft Security News
3.2 Annoying Bug in Vista Corrupts Screen Display
3.3 Free Utility Secures Disk Data
3.4 Users Volunteer to Get Their PCs Infected
3.5 Top Sandbox Utility Acquired by Google
3.6 See How Your Anti-virus Program Stacks Up

4. OTHER USEFUL STUFF

4.1 500GB External USB Drive for $139.96
4.2 Download the Nifty Google Screen-saver Without Installing Google Pack
4.3 Microsoft Claims Open Source Software Violates Its Patents
4.4 Flight Simulator Google Style
4.5 Useless Waste of Time Department
4.6 How to Check the Condition of Your Hard Drive (Premium Edition)
4.7 An Inspirational Logo Collection That Will Get Your Creative Juices Flowing (Premium)
4.8 How to Get McAfee Anti-Virus for Free (Premium Edition)
4.9 Get a Top Commercial Partitioning Program for Free (Premium Edition)

5. TIP OF THE MONTH

5.1 How to Improve Your Security When Using a Public Terminal (Part 1 of 2)

6. FREEBIE OF THE MONTH

6.1 Free Utility Removes Ads From Internet Explorer and More
6.2 Free Utilities That Make Your PC Run Faster (Premium Edition)

7. MANAGING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

PPS This month I'm giving away six free copies of the the top rated Anti virus NOD32. For details, see below.

Support Alert is not produced by a giant publishing empire, it's the work of one man, working alone, namely me.

Support Alert relies on paid subscriptions to the Premium Edition to survive. If you feel that you've benefited from reading the free edition perhaps you would like to consider subscribing to the Premium.

The Premium Edition contains almost twice the number of great tech sites, free utilities, tips and other content as the free edition. It's also ad-free.

When you subscribe you'll also get immediate access to the archive of all past issues of the Premium Edition where you can catch up on the hundreds of great utilities you missed in the free edition. If you like the free edition you'll love the premium. At $10 per year it's just the cost a few coffees.

This month I'm giving away to new Premium subscribers, six free copies of the the top rated Anti virus NOD32.

NOD32 is a brilliant program for protecting your PC yet it only consumes a modest amount of your computing resources. That's why I use it on my key work computers. At $39 it's good value but it's even better value when you can get it for free.

The six copies I'm giving away will be allocated at random but your chances of scoring one are actually quite good. So if you have been thinking of subscribing, now's the time.

Even if you don't win anything you'll still get my special report "Gizmo's Desert Island Utilities" which outlines the software I use myself, including many free products.

How to subscribe to the Premium Edition: 12 months subscription to the Premium Edition costs $10 which can be made by credit card, PayPal or eCheck. Use the link below to subscribe now:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/se-edition.htm


1.0 TOP TECH SITES AND RESOURCES

1.1 More Free Software from Microsoft
Blogger Blake Handler has sent me two interesting links. The first is to a set of free Vista programs and accessories from Microsoft [1] and the second to free Office 2007 software [2]. There is some nice stuff listed.
[1] http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!70F64BC910C9F7F3!1844.entry
[2] http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!70F64BC910C9F7F3!1822.entry

1.2 Windows Stop Messages Explained
You all have experienced it; Windows freezes and the only explanation is a cryptic code like "STOP 0x0000000A" At this site they tell you what the various codes mean. Sometimes this helps, sometimes not. Thanks to JW for the link.
http://aumha.org/a/stop.htm

1.3 Free Online Photoshop-like Image Editor
This is a very neat. Fauxto (pronounced foh-toh) is an online service that allows you to create or edit digital images using an interface and tool-set very similar to Photoshop. It even supports layers. Images can be imported from your hard drive, from Fauxto's servers or from a website. They can be saved to your computer or to the Fauxto servers for later use. Fauxto is currently only a beta but it seems to work fine. My only complaint was the limited set of file types supported but that's minor in the context of the power and usefulness of this service. To use the site you need to register. Thanks to subscriber Andreas Büsing for letting me know about Fauxto.
http://www.fauxto.com/

1.4 Impressive Online Visio-like Drawing Program
The new generation of online applications continues to impress. Gliffy is essentially an on-line version of Visio. It's actually better in some respects in that it allows collaborative editing and online storage. You can create three documents for free but if you want more it will cost you. Registration is required. Thanks to JW for this one. Folks, when you look at Gliffy and similar products such as Fauxto you realize that what I alluded to in this month's editorial is happening fast. The era of running programs on your own PC is coming to an end. The future is browser based web applications.
http://www.gliffy.com/

1.5 The Best Site for Outlook Problems
Whenever you have an Outlook or Exchange question or problem the first place to go is Slipstick.com. Almost certainly you'll find the answer to your query in their extensive problem database. They also have good coverage of add-ins for Outlook. I've mentioned Slipstick before but judging from the email I get there are many folks who simply don't know about this excellent free resource.
http://slipstick.com/

** These items appear only in the Premium Edition **

1.6 Free Online Project Tracking/Invoicing Service

1.7 How to Run Windows Defender on Win2K

1.8 Outstanding Site for Free Digital Photo Software

Got some great tech sites to suggest? Send them to: editor@techsupportalert.com

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2.0 TOP FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE UTILITIES

2.1 Review: Comodo BOClean V4.23
When I read that Comodo had acquired the commercial security product BoClean and were making it available for free [1] I was excited. BOClean is a malware memory monitor with a good reputation and a strong following. The possibility of combining this with a good freeware scanner like AVG Anti-spyware sounded like an attractive possibility. The name BOClean derives from the fact that BOClean originated as a specialist cleaner for the original Back Orifice trojan. Over time its capabilities were extended to other trojans and then to malware more generally. This history is not irrelevant. BOClean is by design an anti-trojan monitor with some other capabilities added on. Despite my high expectations BOClean performed poorly on testing. Naturally I couldn't run any of my normal scanning tests as BOClean is only a memory monitor and has no file scanner but on the other tests it performed terribly; arguably the worst performance of any product I have tested. You can read my lab notes here [1] but it suffices to say that BOClean missed too much and protected too little. Perhaps the worst aspect of its performance is its total lack of self protection. It can even be terminated by Windows Task Manger. If that's not bad enough BOClean is on the hit list of many of the security software termination programs that form an integral part of modern malware. Its lack of protection and slow response make it a sitting duck. More accurately, a dead duck. I hate to disillusion BOClean's many ardent fans but BOClean, like SpyBot Search and Destroy was a once great product whose time has passed. I simply can't recommend it for general use against modern malware. Hopefully the new owners of BOClean will develop and enhance the product; it really needs it. Freeware, all Windows versions, 1.34MB.
[1] http://www.comodo.com/boclean/boclean.html
[2] http://techsupportalert.com/Security%20Tests/Security%20Tests%20-%20%20Comodo%20BoClean%204.23.htm

2.2 Free Utility Removes Unwanted Software from New PCs
Seen a brand new Dell, HP or other brand name PC recently? They are loaded to the brim with pop-up ads for services, trial versions of programs you don't want and a heap of other useless junk. That's because vendors have sold this space on your new PC to software and service vendors. It's a straight money-making deal that leaves you short changed. You can remove all this stuff manually but regular contributor JW has written to let me know about a product called "PC Decrapifier" [1] that does this automatically. It can't remove every bit of junk from every computer but the list of products  it will remove is quite impressive. I haven't got a new PC to try it out on but judging from forum comments, it works as advertised. Free for personal use, Windows XP, Vista, 238KB.
[1] http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/home

2.3 Options for Limiting User Rights in XP
Using a Windows limited user account for your normal work is an effective way of reducing the chance of your computer getting infected by malware. That's because most viruses, trojans, keyloggers, rootkits and other nasties require administrator level rights to install. When you use a limited user account with reduced privileges these products simply can't get a foothold. It sounds like a great idea but there are many problems in practice. First, lots of simple routine tasks like changing the system clock, plugging in a USB drive, running a defragger and updating software can't be carried out in a limited user account. Second many applications, including a lot of security products, won't work either. Some of these problems can be solved by the judicious choice of software while others can be addressed by temporarily switching to an account with administrator rights to run any software that needs these rights. Indeed Windows has an inbuilt command line program called "RunAs" that can be used to temporarily switch to an admin level account simply by typing in the admin account password. In the Premium edition of issue #144, I mentioned a program called Sudo for Windows [1] that like RunAs, provides on-the-spot escalation of privileges for limited user accounts but is more convenient to use. Unlike RunAs, it allows the escalation directly within the restricted account so you remain the owner of the installed files, registry keys, etc. Again unlike RunAs, any icons installed are visible on your desktop. My mention of Sudo for Windows prompted subscriber Paulus T to write in about another free program called suDown [2] that does much the same thing as Sudo for Windows. It not quite a configurable as Sudo for Windows but it's simpler to use and doesn't require the .NET framework to be installed. Overall it's a better choice for most users. Paulus also alerted me to a site [3] that's dedicated to the problem of running reduced rights accounts; it's an excellent resource.
[1] http://www.lostcreations.com/sudowin/sudowin
[2] http://sudown.sourceforge.net/
[3] http://nonadmin.editme.com

2.4 An Alternative to Sandboxing
In the previous item I mentioned some programs that allow you to temporarily elevate the rights of a Windows limited user account. An alternative approach is to adopt the converse policy, that is, to routinely use an administrator account with full rights but reduce the privileges of specific high risk programs like your web browser. It's a strategy that offers fewer inconveniences than running a limited user account at the cost of a slightly lower level of security. Personally I prefer sandboxing these risky applications but for those who have experienced problems when they install a sandboxing program, reducing the privileges of risky applications is a viable alternative. Several free tools are available that allow you run specified programs with reduced privileges. Best known is Microsoft's own DropMyRights [1] which works with XP Pro only or SetSAFER [2] that also works with XP Home provided the .NET framework is installed. Then there is StripMyRights [3] that offers more features than DropMyRights such as command line parameters. Amust's 1-Defender [4] is also an option. Which is the best? If you are a straight Microsoft type who uses Internet Explorer /Outlook / Messenger than 1-Defender is your best bet as it's the easiest to set up. Most other users will probably find DropMyRights a better option as it works with Firefox and other products and has decent documentation on usage. What programs should you reduce the rights for? The same programs you should sandbox namely your browser, email client and IM client. If you reduce the rights of all these programs you will dramatically lower the chances of becoming infected with malware. You will a pay penalty though. Certain functions such as program updates, Macromedia Flash and others functions that require admin privileges may no longer work. Still it's not hard to switch back to full privilege versions of the programs when needed and that's an acceptable cost to pay for the increase in security you get. Remember though, that even if you run your risk-prone applications with reduced privileges you can still get infected from downloads, borrowed programs and other sources. That's why you still need to run anti-virus and other security programs.
[1] http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms972827.aspx
[2] http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dncode/html/secure01182005.asp
[3] http://www.sysint.no/nedlasting/StripMyRights.htm
[4] http://www.amustsoft.com/1-defender/

2.5 Linux as an Alternative to Vista Part 3
Subscriber "Briard" continues his amusing and informative series [1], [2] where he looks at Linux options from the point of view of an average Windows user. This month [3] he looks at some new Linux distros and revisits the latest versions of some old favorites.
[1] http://www.techsupportalert.com/review-linux-for-windows-users.htm
[2] http://www.techsupportalert.com/review-linux-for-windows-users-part-2.htm
[3] http://www.techsupportalert.com/review-linux-for-windows-users-part-3.htm

2.6 Free System Information Utility
System Information utilities cover a number of different functions including system description, hardware and software cataloging and system benchmarking. Different system information utilities have varying strengths in each area. For example the old AIDA32 [1] and its latest incarnation Everest [2] are very strong in cataloging while Gabriel Topala's excellent SIW utility [3] is perfect for examining the configuration of a particular machine. PC Wizard 2007 [4], is a system information utility suggested by subscriber Jason Mogonji that is strong in workstation description and benchmarking. It's a well implemented program with a nice multi-panel display with different analysis functions easily selectable using sidebar buttons. Overall it provides a little less system information that SIW but the benchmarking feature makes up for it. Benchmarks can be run on individual parameters such as processor performance, memory and cache speed, video performance and hard drive speed or can be run be for all functions with the single press of a button. In the latter case an overall numeric system performance index is also calculated. Overall PC Wizard 2007 is an impressive system utility well suited to those who want to get a better understanding of their PC's configuration and performance. The fact that it is regularly updated adds further to its appeal. Freeware, all Windows versions, 2.5MB.
[1] http://www.majorgeeks.com/download181.html
[2] http://www.lavalys.com/products.php
[3] http://www.gtopala.com/siw_software.html
[4] http://www.cpuid.org/pcwizard

2.7 Free Spell-checker Fixes Outlook Express Problems
Subscriber David Spoelstra writes "Gizmo I don't like Outlook, so I've been using Outlook Express 6 instead. I've also been using Office 2003. Well, I decided to upgrade to Office 2007. Guess what? Outlook 2007 breaks the spell checking in OE 6! And guess what Microsoft's fix [1] is? Use one of a 'variety of third-party free spell-checking programs available on the Internet.' Thank you Microsoft! I tried your recommended TinySpell [2]. It works great except for one small problem. I tend to run my machine with my speakers off since I hate it when some website starts talking or playing music. Unfortunately, TinySpell only uses an error tone to let you know you made a spelling error. So, I am using 'Spell Checker for OE 2.1' [3], [4] also known as Vampire that despite its name, works for OE 5.0-6.x It operates exactly like the original spell checker in OE 6 so it's a perfect solution to this Microsoft created problem." Indeed it is an excellent solution David though for those who leave their PC sound turned on, TinySpell has the advantage of working across many applications not just Outlook Express.
[1] http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932974
[2] http://tinyspell.m6.net/
[3] http://www.geocities.com/vampirefo/
[4] http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2952

** These items appear only in the Premium SE Edition **

2.8 A Powerful Free File Cataloging Program

2.9 Add Firefox Style In-page Search to Internet Explorer

2.10 More Free Vista Features for XP Users

Got some top utilities to suggest? Send them to
editor@techsupportalert.com

3.0 SECURITY PATCHES, SERVICE RELEASES AND UPDATES

3.1 Microsoft Security News
In the last month new exploits have been circulating for a particularly nasty flaw in Microsoft's Windows Server Domain Name System Service. The flaw affects Windows Server 2000 and Windows Server 2003 running the DNS Server. Affected systems could be completely compromised. The flaw was unusually serious because it potentially allowed key corporate assets to be attacked. Thankfully it has been fixed by Microsoft as part of the May "Patch Tuesday" release. It is essential that all users of Windows Server 2000 and 2003 patch their servers immediately.

Patch Tuesday the 8th of May saw the release of a huge batch security updates from Microsoft. The updates covered 19 different flaws of which 14 were rated as critical. One of the critical flaws was for the DNS vulnerability mentioned above while others covered Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office products, Exchange and Microsoft Cryptographic services.
A number of the patches covered flaws in Microsoft Office file formats. While the fixes were welcome, it is clear Office files remain vulnerable and will continue to be attack targets. In this context all unknown Office files must be considered as potentially dangerous and only opened in a sandbox or other safe environment.

Further details of the May updates can be found here [1] while a discussion of implementation issues can be found here [2]. All the updates are distributed automatically via the Microsoft Update Service. Dial-up users in particular need to be aware that these updates are large files and you will need a considerable period of time online for them to download successfully. If you have any doubts whether you have received the updates, then visit the Microsoft Update Service [3] now.

[1] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms07-may.mspx
[2] http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/columnItem/0,294698,sid14_gci1254239,00.html
[3] http://update.microsoft.com (Requires IE5 or later)

3.2 Annoying Bug in Vista Corrupts Screen Display
A number of subscribers have written about a problem in Vista where the screen display has black or transparent sections and/or toolbars go missing. It's a known bug and Microsoft has a hotfix [1]. The problem apparently occurs when a Vista system is left running for a long period of time. You have to contact Microsoft for the hotfix but there's a simple work-around: restart Explorer. You can restart Explorer in Vista using the stock standard Windows technique of killing the explorer.exe process in Task Manager then clicking the Task Manager Applications tab, selecting Add then type in "explorer". It's a neat little Windows trick to have in your repertoire whenever you get a corrupted or frozen screen.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/932406/en-us#appliesto

3.3 Free Utility Secures Disk Data
Encrypting your disk drives and files is not the only way to prevent trojans stealing your confidential data. There are a number of products on the market that achieve the same result by restricting access to particular files or drives to specified programs. One such application is DriveSentry, a product that started life as a commercial application and is now free. As their website states "DriveSentry works by monitoring each application writing to your drives. Only applications you have authorized can write to the drive and all others are blocked. If you can imagine a software firewall monitors internet traffic, well DriveSentry monitors drive traffic...DriveSentry is incredibly versatile as it not only allows you to prevent applications writing to your drives but can also control what file-types they write." I tried it and it works as advertised. It operates like this: you nominate a drive, folder or set of files of a particular type that you want to protect. You then nominate the trusted programs that can legitimately access these protected entities. If another program tries to access or change any of these a popup warning is issued. DriveSentry has some nice features such as a sensible inbuilt set of program access permissions for common file types plus the option of a standard mode and advanced mode of operation. It also provides some additional HIPS-like system protection. For example you get notified of one of your trusted programs gets changed, your browser home page modified or system dlls are altered. It all sounds hunky dory but what do I think of DriveSentry? In a phrase: too noisy. I found myself swamped at times with pop-up warnings. Maybe with more tweaking of the settings things might quieten things down. I don't know; I installed the product after only two days of usage. DriveSentry is not for me, but for others prepared to trade a little annoyance for increased security DriveSentry is a good option particularly at the price. Thanks to subscriber Rick Farrow for the suggestion. Freeware, Windows 2000 through to Vista, 2MB
http://www.drivesentry.com/

3.4 Users Volunteer to Get Their PCs Infected
When security professional Didier Stevens ran a tongue-in-cheek Google text ad offering users the opportunity to get their PCs infected he didn't expect much of a response. He was wrong; 409 people clicked on the ad over a six month period. Those who clicked the ad ended up at Stevens' benign web site so no harm was done but they could just have easily landed at a hostile drive-by download site. Sure makes you wonder about human behavior. Google has now pulled the ad.
http://didierstevens.wordpress.com/

3.5 Top Sandbox Utility Acquired by Google
GreenBorder, although a tad expensive, is one of the best performing sandboxes I've tested so I was saddened when a subscriber wrote to tell me the product was no longer available. According to their support forum "GreenBorder has stopped offering its products for sale. We're not going out of business, and we'll continue to support our existing customers." I emailed the company to ask for clarification. I was delighted when I received a short reply saying GreenBorder had been acquired by Google. I've seen no press announcement but if this is true then I suspect they will make GreenBorder free. Sandboxie is a top product so I hope I'm right. Also makes you wonder whether the much-denied Google Browser is actually taking shape. https://supportcenteronline.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=4049

3.6 See How Your Anti-virus Program Stacks Up
In my April 2007 Editorial [1] I rated some of the most popular free and commercial AV scanners. Since then I've located an excellent additional data source [2] for assessing AV performance. It's a near real-time listing of how well the major scanners detect new threats identified by the Malware Incident Reporting & Termination (MIRT) team. The results support my previous findings namely the class-leading new threat detection rate of AntiVir and the relatively poor performance of AVG and Avast! with Kaspersky and NOD32 falling in the middle. Perhaps more important than the product ranking, is the relatively poor performance of ALL products in detecting new threats. This reinforces the point I have been making in recent issues that you can no longer rely exclusively on signature based anti malware products to protect you from the current onslaught of new threats. That said, it should be noted that the detection of new threats is only one of several criteria you need to consider when assessing the performance of AV products. See my April [1] editorial for more details.
[1] http://techsupportalert.com/issues/issue144.htm#Section_0
[2] http://winnow.oitc.com/malewarestats.php

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4.0 OTHER USEFUL STUFF

4.1 500GB External USB Drive for $139.96
This a good deal: a quality Western Digital hard drive in an external USB enclosure for $138.95 with free shipping. Just the thing for ripping your CD collection or backing up your DVDs.
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202418917&adid=17070&dcaid=17070

4.2 Download the Nifty Google Screen-saver Without Installing Google Pack
The screen-saver in Google Pack is one of the best around. It paints your screen with an attractive and varying collage of photos from a folder of your choice. However it's hardly worth the effort of installing the massive Google Pack just for the screen-saver. This article shows you how you can install just the screen-saver alone.
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/03/google-screensaver.html

4.3 Microsoft Claims Open Source Software Violates Its Patents
In a PR masterstroke designed to win the hearts and minds of computer users worldwide Microsoft has claimed that Open Source software including Linux may violate 235 Microsoft patents. I wonder if this includes all the ideas Microsoft knocked off from Apple :>)
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9019238&source=NLT_AM&nlid=1

4.4 Flight Simulator Google Style
Fly a plane over terrain from Google Earth. It's not sophisticated flying but the view is marvelous.
http://www.isoma.net/games/goggles.html

4.5 Useless Waste of Time Department
Regular contributor Mikel Peters writes: "Gizmo, the free flash games at this site [1] are a blast. In particular I highly recommend checking out Sea of Fire; it is one of the best free flash games I've seen." Mikel goes on to say " ... and I've found another site [2] that can only be described as the mother of all time wasting sites. It's got cool, weird, interesting and amazing articles, pictures and videos plus links to hundreds of other time-wasting sites."
[1] http://armorgames.com/
[2] http://very-bored.com/

** These items appear only in the Premium SE Edition **

4.6 How to Check the Condition of Your Hard Drive

4.7 An Inspirational Logo Collection That Will Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

4.8 How to Get McAfee Anti-Virus for Free

4.9 Get a Top Commercial Partitioning Program for Free


5.0 TIP OF THE MONTH

5.1 How to Improve Your Security When Using a Public Terminal (Part 1 of 2)

Using a hotel computer, one in an internet cafe or airport is a risky business. Public terminals are fine for general browsing and even (with a few precautions) collecting your email but when it comes to logging in to your bank account or making an online purchase they really should be avoided.

We all know that but life doesn't always allow us to follow the rules; sometimes we simply have to use a public terminal to conduct a confidential transaction

Well I'd dearly like to be able to tell you a way you can use a public terminal with complete safety. I can't. What I can do is show you ways you can do it with a high degree of security. OK it's not 100% but it's better than no security at all.
There are two main areas of risk when using a public terminal. First someone may be using a session logger to record the flow of data between the PC you are using and the websites you visit. Second there may be a keylogger fitted to the PC that allows someone to capture your keystrokes and sometimes your mouse clicks and screen session as well.

This month I'm going talk about the first risk, interception. Next month I'll talk about keylogging.

It's dead easy for an ill-intentioned internet cafe operator to record your internet traffic. Indeed I once visited a cafe and noticed the clerk at the front desk was unabashedly scanning traffic from the shop's computers using Ethereal. So believe me, it happens.

It's important that you understand when you a visiting a normal website that most of the information that flows between the PC you are using and the website you are visiting is visible and readable. It's there for anyone to see. "Anyone" includes your ISP or the clerk in the internet cafe.

However if you are visiting a secure website (i.e. one whose address begins with https rather than http) this is no longer the case; your data stream is secure. That's because your data is encrypted end to end i.e. PC to server. Yes, it can still be seen but all that can be seen is a lot of gobbledygook.

If you use Gmail or Yahoo! webmail this is good news as both of these have secure website connections. The last time I used Hotmail it wasn't secure and many other webmail services aren't secure either. It's easy to tell: go to your webmail site and login. If the URL in the browser address bar starts with https it is secure. That means you can read your mail on any public terminal and no one can read your mail by intercepting the traffic between the PC you are using and the webmail service.

If your webmail service uses http rather than https then your email can be intercepted and read. If your email only includes things like a get-well message to Aunt Maud then there is no problem but if it contains your social security number, bank account and other personal details then you should start worrying.

Almost all online banking sites and e-commerce sites use https. That's comforting as it means no one can read your confidential data flowing between the computer you are using and the remote server. Sure they can see the data flow but they can't decrypt it.

There are however, a number of ways to convert even a standard http into a secure encrypted https connection. Using a virtual private network is one way but that's an option more readily available to corporate users than individuals. A simpler solution is to use a secure anonymizing network like the free Tor system.

Although Tor was designed to allow you to surf anonymously it has an attractive side benefit: it creates a secure https connection between your PC and the first Tor server. It's not secure beyond the first Tor server but interception is most unlikely once you get beyond the first server. The most likely location for someone to look at your web traffic is between the PC you are using and the first Tor server.

Setting up Tor is simple if you use a product like the free Firefox based TorPark browser. Just start up TorPark and the rest pretty well happens automatically. TorPark is also portable so you can safely browse from a public terminal using a copy of TorPark installed on your USB flash drive.

Surfing with TorPark is noticeably slowed by the long chain of Tor servers through which your data passes. However a little extra time is a small price to pay for the additional security and anonymity. Besides if you really need speed you can switch back to normal non-secure browsing easily within TorPark.

If you use TorPark you can safely read your email even for non-secure webmail websites like HotMail. Whether the content of your webmail warrants the effort involved only you can decide.

I should note in parting that SSL (and thus https) is not immune to decryption. In particular so called "man in the middle" attacks have proven effective. However this kind of advanced attack is highly unlikely in an internet cafe.

Next month I'll talk about protecting your passwords when using a public terminal. The news is reasonably good but that will have to wait until the next issue.

Difference between http and https:
http://blog.eukhost.com/2006/11/15/difference-between-http-and-https/
SSH and SSL explained:
http://www.rpatrick.com/tech/ssh-ssl/
TorPark:
http://www.torrify.com/
Man in the Middle Attacks:
http://www.contentverification.com/man-in-the-middle/index.html


6.0 FREEBIE OF THE MONTH

6.1 Free Utility Removes Ads From Internet Explorer and More

Firefox users can effectively remove ads from web pages using the excellent free Ad-Block extension but there has been no comparable free add-on for Internet Explorer. Until now, that is.

IE7Pro not only provides ad blocking but tab management, proxy switching, mouse gestures and more including a very valuable crash recovery feature. There's even a Firefox GreaseMonkey-like scripting feature that allows you to add more functionality such as a rather neat skin for Gmail.

Hey with all these additional features you can convert IE7 into an almost passable alternative to Firefox ;>)

Seriously, IE7Pro is a terrific product and a must for all IE7 users. In fact it's so good that I suspect the pressure to convert it to a commercial product may well prove irresistible so download it now while it's free.

http://www.ie7pro.com/ Freeware, Internet Explorer 7, 985KB.

** Bonus Freebie for Premium Edition subscribers **

6.2 Free Utilities That Make Your PC Run Faster

Every week I get letter from subscribers asking me whether they should buy a particular PC Tune up utility or subscribe to a particular commercial tune up service that claims to make their PC run faster.

In each case my advice is the same: save you money. You can easily tune up your PC using free utilities and in many cases get a better result than using expensive commercial products.

There are two freeware tune up options: the first is to use a specialist tune up utility that will do the job for you with a single click. The second option is to use a number of different freeware utilities each addressing one particular area of cleanup and tuning.

The first approach is easier the second is more comprehensive. Let's look at the products I recommend for each approach:

... full details in the Premium Edition

How to get the Premium Edition now

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If you like the free edition you'll love the premium. At $10 per year it's just the cost a few coffees. Use this link to subscribe online now:

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This month I'm giving away to new Premium subscribers, six free copies of the the top rated anti virus NOD32.

NOD32 is a brilliant program for protecting your PC yet it only consumes a modest amount of your computing resources. That's why I use it on my key work computers. At $39 it's good value but it's even better value when you can get it for free.

The six copies I'm giving away will be allocated at random but your chances of scoring one are actually quite good. So if you have been thinking of subscribing, now's the time.

Even if you don't win anything you'll still get my special report "Gizmo's Desert Island Utilities" which outlines the software I use myself, including many free products.
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The 46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities
 http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm

The Extended List of the Latest Freebies
http://www.techsupportalert.com/more/extended.htm

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Support Alert is a registered online serial publication ISSN 1448-7020. Content of this newsletter is (c) Copyright TechSupportAlert.com, 2007

See you next issue. Next month's issue will be published on the 21st of June.

Gizmo
Ian Richards
editor@techsupportalert.com