Fight the New, Intrusive Web Ads, Part 2

Last week I told you about sneaky advertising--pop-up or pop-under windows, HTML code in e-mail messages that sends your address to a spammer, and Web bugs. In this issue I'll tell you how I block ads and Web bugs from my e-mail program, ban banner ads on Web sites, and fight off malicious Java code.

I know you read all my newsletters diligently, but just in case you missed it--I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, you may be a new subscriber--read through the first part, linked here, before going on.

Detect and Block Web Bugs and Ads

One of the most fascinating things about Web bugs is how many Web sites use them--and how many are used on each site. To find out who's using Web bugs and what the bugs are doing, grab a copy of Bugnosis. The tool works with Internet Explorer 5.0 and later (sorry, Netscape users, you'll have to switch) to track Web bugs. One warning: After the novelty of seeing the bugs in action wears thin, you'll probably uninstall this plug-in.

My first line of defense against Web bugs and banner ads is AdSubtract. The SE version is free but limited to configuring just five Web sites. I use the paid version for lots of reasons. For instance, I can set up an unlimited number of Web sites to allow cookies but not let Java applets run. Besides stopping ads, AdSubtract also prevents windows from popping up, stops Java applets and JavaScripts on Web sites, and filters out two types of cookies.

We've been following this product for a while. Read one of our first pieces on it to learn more about how it works. You can grab the freebie version from PCWorld.com's Downloads page.

There are two other free programs similar to AdSubtract, each with its own cool features. For instance, WebWasher has more features and is more configurable than AdSubtract. You might try Guidescope as well.

Dig this: How about reminiscing back to the time before Web bugs, spam, and, well, the Internet. Remember NYC's Bozo Show, Wonderama, and The Felix the Cat Show? (Didn't think I was that old, eh?)

Fire Up a Firewall

Imagine a wall that's wedged between your PC and everything you do on the Internet--for instance, sending e-mail, FTPing, Web browsing. Now visualize one- and two-way openings (or ports) in that wall, each one under your control. When a Web bug tries to leave your PC and head for the Internet, you can easily block it by closing a specific opening in that firewall.

Many of you want details about firewalls; I have plenty of them for you. Start with Robert L. Hummel's "How It Works: Personal Firewalls" article. It's about a year old but you'll find the contents current.

Next up are two good articles about ZoneAlarm. The first, "ZoneAlarm Introduces a Friendlier Firewall" talks about the current version's features. Also worth mentioning is an old but useful article that shows you how to set up ZoneAlarm: "Instant Internet Security." (Listen, at my age, I'm learning that old is good.)

I haven't tried it, but I hear that the about-to-be-released version of ZoneAlarm Pro has a bunch of nifty new features. These include ad blocking and warning you if a Web page has Java and ActiveX components. For more details, read "ZoneAlarm Pro Update Blasts Ads, Cookies."

Dig this: Want a case of sticker shock? Look at the price for a 14.4-kilobits-per-second modem in 1992. And make sure you check out the price for a 90MB Iomega Bernoulli drive.

The ZoneAlarm Tutorial

The free version of ZoneAlarm is a great bargain. But for $40, ZoneAlarm Pro does a hell of a lot more. IMHO (I couldn't believe it but my editor didn't know this one. It's shorthand for "in my humble opinion."), it's money well spent.

ZoneAlarm Pro lets me set my e-mail program to allow traffic on just two ports. The beauty is that I can block Web bugs, cookies, and other surreptitious communications from within a message to an outside server. That also means I can block ads in HTML messages. This trick works in Eudora, Outlook, and Outlook Express; I haven't experimented with Web-based apps such as Yahoo, Hotmail, and Netscape Mail, but it's likely not to work with those systems.

Here's how: In ZoneAlarm Pro, select Programs and scroll to your e-mail program. Choose Options and click the Ports tab.

Now select "Allow access for only the ports checked below," click on Add, and select Mail Servers. In my case, I also included port 53 because I have Eudora, my e-mail program, set to access EarthLink's IP address, bypassing the name server.

ZoneAlarm Pro's save-my-bacon MailSafe feature adds an extra margin of safety by automatically renaming attachments that have risky file names, rendering them harmless. Oddly enough, some older, free versions of ZoneAlarm also have this feature. Experiment by sending yourself a small file ending in .bat or .exe and see if ZoneAlarm catches it.

To set ZoneAlarm Pro for catching and filtering worms, viruses, and Trojan horses, choose Security, Advanced, MailSafe, and select Check All.

Dig this: Do you know someone who has trouble computing and needs, well, support? Believe me, it's a tough decision: Should my loved one be placed in an assisted computing facility? Here's help in making the decision.

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