The online world is no longer the fun it once was for me, because I'm one of the ultra-paranoid.  Even from friends who send links in email  have to be specific about what the link is about or I will not click on it.  Have lost a few "friends" over this.  Also, I check to see if the link I think I'm clicking on is really going to be the url in the address line.  (place mouse on link.  do not click but look @ bottom of your browser to see if it matches url in the mail)  I don't even click on links to go to most greeting cards sent.  (now that REALLY gets me in hot water)  There are just a couple of greeting card companies' links I will click on. 

I left Outlook and OE a long time ago.  Some of you might like Eudora or Thunderbird for mail client.  They're not going to save you from everything but both have some security features I like.  Long ago and far away I had so much fun making pretty email notes to friends using OE and then Incredimail.  At first I missed doing that so much.  Maybe I'm a bit "over the top" but better safe than very, very sorry.

Also, there's the option of booting off Ubuntu disk for places where you really want your login and password to remain secure, just in case all other measures have failed you.

I was just using the general 'you out there' when I was talking about the 3rd party sites.   You sound well-fortified, Jan.  It did turn out that there is a problem with Adobe flash and there is a security update on their site.  It is getting dicey on the Net.  My most harrowing experience to date was ironically when I was searching for info on the Adobe problem.  So I'll be doing Carol's address checking.  And I am wondering about Outlook now.  LOL.  Just started using that. 

Thanks for all the tips, everyone!  I don't know anyone that has had an identity theft problem on the Net, but I do know someone who had to reformat a hard drive and reload to get rid of a virus.

***I looked at the Ubuntu forums and it is wonderful that there is a way to escape Microsoft...free, too, but it does seem like something for very technical people.....looks like a lot of universities use it.  They said it could reduce the 'paranoia factor' online if you are able to master it.

JanC, your "cool iris" sounds very interesting.  I use something called "Ultrafunk Popcorn" to first bring mail in.  If there is something that I question before opening it in my email client, it lets me read the whole thing but will not expose me to any unwanted stuff.  I did note that they have not put out new version or updates in a long time...but it still serves a useful purpose.  Always been free and I'm sorry they have no longer supporting it.  However, it is still available for download if any of you want to take a look. 

Another thing I'm paranoid about in my mail is something that has been forwarded.  Depends on who it is from and how much they tell me in a separate mail as to whether I open or delete, esp the ones that have been forwarded multiple times.  Most just get deleted before opening.  This gets me in hot water w/ a neighbor and several friends out of state.  One person even changes the subject line so that unless I use "Popcorn" there is no clue that it's forwarded mail that went around several lists.  *sigh*

It's a good thing they have tools like those.  What is it with people getting obsessive about wanting others to read forwarded mail?

Saw this:
http://identitytheft911.org/alerts/alert.ext?sp=10348
FRAUDRED — Breaking Fraud Alerts from Identity Theft 911

Internet Flooded with Malicious Software in 2007
December 20, 2007

We’ve seen in 2007 a dramatic rise in the amount of malicious software (“malware”) on the Internet, as its criminal authors have become “increasingly professional at their ‘business,’” new research indicates.

In a year-end Data Security Wrap-up, Finnish security company F-Secure reports that what previously took 20 years to amass has accumulated in just 2007 alone. “At the start of 2007—our number of malware detections equaled a quarter-million. At the end of 2007, the estimates are to be equal to half-a-million,” the company states.

The steep increase was a surprise even to F-Secure. “We’ve never seen as many samples arrive to our labs,” Mikko Hypponen, F-Secure’s Chief Research Officer says in the news release.

The report continued: “Genuine innovation appears to be on the decline and is currently being replaced with volume and mass-produced kit malware. But while new techniques weren’t developed—the existing techniques were refined and adapted for much greater effectiveness. There are some very dangerous faces in the big crowd.”

‘Most brilliant botnet ever’
As an example, F-Secure pointed to the so-called Storm gang’s use of social engineering methods to bypass victims’ data security systems. The group’s name was coined after it sent out e-mail with the topical subject line “230 dead as storm batters Europe” related to a real news event in January 2007. Attached to the message were a collection of backdoor Trojans and e-mail worms (known under the umbrella name “Storm Worm”).........

Carolo: 

Glad you like cool iris.  I've had it for a really long time so I don't remember how I found it to be honest.....maybe through Firefox addons?  I think it's nifty because you can "view" emails & then decide what to do with them.

Every now & then I find something I really like......so while we were on the subject of spyware & trying to keep safe on the internet, I thought of cool iris.