"Snippets" are mini-articles - they allow me to very quickly add answers to your frequently asked questions, and add brief explanations for topics that you've searched for without success. So, everytime you send an email or perform a search, chances are a new snippet will be the result!17 Sep: Secure your home PC now!Steve Gibson of grc.com has a very useful site.I've mentioned his website briefly before when recommending that you read his article about battling a DDOS attack against his site, but this week I'm concentrating on his Shields UP! online utility My development computer at home has a permanent cable connection, and I leave my computer turned on 24/7, so I'm a perfect target for people trying to find computers to use for directing DDOS attacks. Previously I had used the free ZoneAlarm software to protect my computer, but a number of minor problems made me uninstall that a few months ago. Since then I've been meaning to try another solution, and after running Shields UP! I finally have solved the problem by buying a LinkSys router. If you haven't tested your computer security with Shields UP! DO IT NOW. My computer was w i d e open. After simply plugging in the new router (it was that easy) my computer does not even appear to exist to anyone probing my IP address. Now THAT's Stealth mode. By the way, buy.com was the cheapest place to find the router, and were excellent. The router got shipped same day, and arrived 2 days after placing the order. At $84 (after $15 rebate), this router is a steal. | 
