Q&A
You can put a lock on browser

By Kim Komando
Gannett News Service

Q: My employees waste a lot of time surfing. Can I restrict Internet Explorer to only the places I permit?

A: Yes. Internet Explorer has a feature called Content Advisor. To access it, click Tools, Internet Options, Content and Enable. Select the General tab and click Create Password. When done, set the Web site limits. Once again, select Tools, Internet Options and the Content tab. Click Settings. Enter your password and click OK. Click the Approved Sites tab. In the "Allow this Web site" box, enter each permitted site. Click Always for each site.

Using Content Advisor is not foolproof. It's pretty easy to crack the password.

Q: I have a 200-megabyte file that I need to send to a friend. E-mail is out because of the size. I could send him a CD, but I was wondering if there is a quicker way.

A: Send the file via FTP (file transfer protocol). Specialized software facilitates the sending and receiving of files. Once installed and set up, your friend can browse your computer and download the needed file. Two FTP free programs are Fastream (www.fastream.com) and Core FTP Lite (www.coreftp.com).

Remember, how long it takes to transfer the file will depend on your friend's connection speed.

Q: How can I prove that someone is racking up credit-card bills on the Internet?

A: Spying could cause trouble. But if you are seeking proof, use a keystroke-logging program. These applications record every keystroke, and allow you to see where someone is going online. Three logging programs are WinWhatWhere ($100, www.trueactive.com), Spector Pro ($100, www.spectorsoft.com) and NetObserve ($55, www.exploreanywhere.com).

However, there are programs such as SpyCop ($50, www.spycop.com) and SpyDetect ($50, www.spydetect.com) that will detect them.