Security really is an issue on the internet nowadays. Its so easy to get misled by stories of the real and not-so-real viruses that are doing the rounds. A good antivirus program is essential for anyone on who uses the internet. A firewall is another important peice of software to have installed. When you see how many attempts to access your computer are reported by your firewall, you will wonder what damage could have been done with out it.

When you are connected to the internet via your ISP, you are given an IP address. (For those that dont know what it is, its the equivilent of your computers telephone number on the 'net. In order for other computers/servers to communicate with yours, they need to know your IP (internet protocol) address.) This IP address can be static (permanently the same every time you connect) or dynamic (changes very time you logon) Your IP address can be publically viewed on ICQ, or detected and displayed by some websites. But the fact remains, most of the time it is visible to people who have a little knowledge of how the internet works. It can be 'Pinged' by someone to see if it is connected to the net, and info about your ISP can be obtained, as can the route your connection takes across the net. Therefore, a firewall is a definate essential!!

For my Antivirus, I use Norton (paid for) and for my Firewall I use Zonealarm (free download, and very good!). I have split this section into Antiviruses, Firewalls, Anonymous Surfing (hiding your IP on the web) and Misc. Security sites. Some of the latter group may have references to hacking and such like. I have tried to root out the malicious sites and keep the ones that are Pro-active towards anti hacking. These are included for educational purposes only, in order to give an insight into the workings of the web and how hackers operate.