Hi, can I get any free tool to check what background activity is being performed on my computer while I surf the web? I understand that pages I acces cn be fake-pages I view, while in the background evil code can be put on my machine. I want to stay safe, at least as safe as possible. Apreciate your advice. Patrick

Use a live cd. They can't be hacked. Use a good linux, solaris or other non-ms product maybe if you just want to surf the web. As for windows you need a layered approach. Use "best practices". Those are things that help prevent attack. Hosts file, limited user accounts, anti-virus, blocking unused ports and protocols, and so on. You have almost all you need, taskman will show processes, see also systernals for the most up to date tools. "Best Practices", Event viewer, host file, perfmon, are in my top 10

Thank you for advice, I will elaborate on that. all the best Patrick

I got Taskmanager, it´s a great tool. Apreciate your advice! Patrick fr. Germany

Some anti-malware software has anti-phishing support built in that can be activated - E.g. AVG free 8.x, Norton Products - that offers some protection from stuff you can get merely by visiting a web site. If you download stuff from places that have illegally provided copies of software, scan the download after you have downloaded it, before you click on it to open or execute it - there is often malware hidden in those. Often at least most of the background activity is legitimate - many programs update themselves in the background, and depending on settings Windows Automatic Update can do that in the background. "....taskman will show processes..." press Ctrl-Alt-Del when you see you have network activity you don't know what is caused by for an internet connection - look at Processes - the active ones are obvious - take note of the name of the program and look it up. SVCHOST is a "slave" Microsoft program that is used by other programs you don't see in the list - most of the time all instances of it are legitimate. "...see also systernals for the most up to date tools." They were bought out by Microsoft, but the tools they developed are still available and most have been improved. E.g. if you want to find out for the SVCHOST entries what they are for and what programs controls them, get Process Explorer from the Microsoft site - the other tools are there too.

No ass, would help or advice me, here in Germany, meanwhile you american folks, are always willing to explain and help out. Great country, great people. All the best, thanks a lot for those SUPERHELPFULL postings. Patrick

It's not only Americans that help out at this forum. There's helpers from all around the world, and I'm from Australia... Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity...