Privacy Issues

Terms like macro viruses, Trojan Horse files and firewalls are becoming commonplace in our daily experience. But what do they mean? And how will it affect your Internet experience?

Cookies are electronic tags planted on your PC by Web sites to track your browsing habits. Guard Dog notifies you whenever a Web site tries to place a cookie on your hard drive, and then recommends whether or not to accept it. (Please note that some cookies are actually beneficial, communicating information necessary to perform useful functions.) You will never see the same cookie twice, because Guard Dog remembers exactly which ones you have dealt with in the past.

Trojan Horses are programs that "trick" you into downloading them under false pretense (they appear to be useful or fun to have). Once on your computer, these files do something very different than they promised, often wreaking havoc by destroying critical files. Guard Dog monitors downloaded applications for Trojan horses and protects your data from these malicious files.

ActiveX Controls and Java Applets are small programs that can silently enter your hard drive from the Web pages you visit and cause damage to your system. Guard Dog blocks such agents from scanning your personal records or deleting critical files.

Firewalls limit access to your PC from the Internet. Guard Dog becomes your "personal firewall," ensuring that downloaded files and email attachments do not steal your private information and send it out through the Internet.

For more information about privacy, visit ZDNet's privacy articles