ABSTRACT
Just because most computers are used behind closed doors does not mean that others cannot see what is taking place. Surfing the Net is like walking down a public street. Web sites use small programs called “cookies” that are downloaded onto a computer hard drive to track the sites that the user visits and send this information to the Web site administrators. This is usually done for marketing purposes, but it would not take much to make this a malicious activity. Never send an e-mail that you do not want broadcast to the whole world. Junk email, or spam, is the most common tool used to violate online privacy. Experts say that consumers should not respond to spam e-mail in any way, and especially not by clicking on the “to remove from list” links. More often than not, these links merely help the spammer confirm that your address is active.
