E-mails are what turn the world around, we are all using this amazing type of communication that enables us to reach anyone anywhere. Instead of sending it in the regular post, closing our letters in an envelope and sending it with the postman to be delivered by the post services, and of course reach the destination in a couple of days. We are using e-mails, which we write a letter and send it electronically using the Internet in one click, and it reaches the destination in a matter of minutes (seconds).

This technology when it started a long while back was the goal of any serious company that wanted to become the solely used e-mail tool by everyone. This means that they wanted everyone to use their e-mail system and not the competition. At the beginning, there were some basic web e-mail account systems, which the most used was the Yahoo mail, with it’s Yahoo messenger which connected between e-mail accounts and an online chat tool that enabled everyone connected (that had a Yahoo e-mail account) to just talk online with each other (you could see when the connected friend was online)
and you could interact with him to start an online chat.

Microsoft created their Hotmail e-mail accounts, and the MSN messenger, to participate in the fight for the crowd, trying to produce tools that everyone will prefer over the competitors. I can honestly say that I didn’t like Hotmail very much and preferred the Yahoo e-mail tool better, but that was just me, and at those historic time.

Since then Google has created its Gmail e-mail online tool, and we have to admit, that they have managed to pull many users to connect to their free e-mail system, due to a better and convenient system. The facts are that Gmail has become a more usable online e-mail system, and Google which has started with their amazing and leading search engine (mostly used by everyone), had a BIG BITE in the online e-mail market against Microsoft and Yahoo which lost many users, which left them for the better system.

Microsoft still improved its e-mail system (Yahoo does as well) and its online chat system the MSN messenger, which gets updated from time to time.

Microsoft has also included the Hotmail account as a validation login to other of Microsoft systems, like their Volume License system – for tracking a company bought licenses, and track what licenses they have, and every purchased open license went to those lists.

Summarizing we can see that Microsoft Hotmail e-mail system has been the base for Microsoft’s other services, which they have chosen to include in tracking all of Microsoft services under one user/password login of the Hotmail system, and for their, they do deserve some credit.

You can choose to check their Hotmail mailing system and see maybe it fits you. I have to say, that since Gmail has started, I almost never go into my Hotmail e-mail account. But that is just me 🙂 I guess it is always a matter of taste.
The benefit of it all that there are alternatives which we can choose from, and all we need to do, is check things and decide which online e-mail tool we prefer to work with.

There are many security risks while we use our computers. Since the internet becomes a common and most usable interface, as we use the internet on a daily basis, we are open to risks that are just out there on the web. We continuously either receive e-mails, browse the web visit different websites, download files, play movies, press publicity banners, etc… We might connect a USB device that might contain an infected file.

All of those subjects I have reviewed in that last paragraph are risks to our computers, there are different type of risks on the internet, some are while just browsing a risky virus-infected website that might try to install a spy type of application onto your computer, or install plug-in into your browser. You might receive e-mails that if opened might install a damaging application into your computer and you might just want to copy a file from someone’s USB memory stick, and that memory stick might have some infected files on it, that might infect your computer.

So to avoid, or at least minimize the risk to your computer there are some basic rules to maintain. The basic one is a Firewall, which yo

u might use a router that you might know how to configure to enable its a firewall and by that build the Firewall WALL that will guard your computer against outside threats. You can also use a software firewall, that will be as a default in the operating system (like the Windows OS offers a built-in firewall), or just install an external firewall software, which there are many types out there, you just need to make sure you choose a well known one, that, of course, gets daily updates, so it will be always updated with the newest threats and update its guarding mechanism against those threats.

The idea behind the firewall is a separation between the WAN (wide area network) and the LAN (local area network), so external sources can’t access your local network.

The other risk prevention way is to install Anti-Virus software on your computer, that will guard any changes or harmful software that might try to install itself onto your computer. The anti-virus software needs to get daily updates and be most updated against the newest risks that might appear, and there are many viruses that are being built on

a daily basis, and the updated system will be able to guard your computer for those viruses. The anti-virus system can either prevent the virus from installing itself automatically, or you might just choose to get a warning and enable you to choose the steps you want to take with the anti-virus warning (if you trust the software you’re trying to install which might get a warning from the anti-virus system you will be able to enable it to install).

Basically, if you have those two basic features, the Firewall and the Anti-Virus on your computer, you will be protected against dangerous occurrences that might occur on your computer, and prevent them from spreading and damaging your computer, and your important information that you would like to keep safe :-).

Be aware of the warning I have specified above, and keep your computer safe.