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No longer a fledgling upstart, Firefox is the gold standard of alternatives to the still-dominant Internet Explorer. Firefox 3.6 is full-featured, lightning fast, and secure. Its killer selection of add-ons remains strong, with built-in support for the next generation of themes, called Personas, plus the latest update makes version 3.6 about 20 percent faster than version 3.5. However, competition is strong and it can no longer be said that Firefox is the fastest browser available.

Several notable improvements in the latest revamp keep Firefox abreast of current browsing tech. In addition to the aforementioned improvements made to the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine so that it renders Web applications faster, there have also been other significant under-the-hood changes. These include: blocking third-party software from encroaching on Firefox's file system turf to increase stability; support for the Web Open Font Format, which means many non-English browser users should have a faster time loading Web pages with downloadable fonts; and support for the File interface, which can help with tasks such as uploading multiple photos and is part of the draft HTML5-standard effort. HTML5 support debuted in Firefox 3.5. Another deeper change to the browser is that it is now running scripts asynchronously, which can help to load a Web page faster by putting off some work until the high-priority chores are complete. Firefox 3.6 also isolates out-of-date plug-ins so they do not become a security risk.

Unlike Firefox 3.5, which was more about keeping the browser current rather than blazing new trails, Firefox 3.6 is once again on the warpath. Upgrading is highly recommended.

Steganography is the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one, apart from the sender and intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message, a form of security through obscurity. The word steganography is of Greek origin and means "concealed writing". The first recorded use of the term was in 1499 by Johannes Trithemius in his Steganographia, a treatise on cryptography and steganography disguised as a book on magic. Generally, messages will appear to be something else: images, articles, shopping lists, or some other covertext and, classically, the hidden message may be in invisible ink between the visible lines of a private letter.

The advantage of steganography, over cryptography alone, is that messages do not attract attention to themselves. Plainly visible encrypted messages—no matter how unbreakable—will arouse suspicion, and may in themselves be incriminating in countries where encryption is illegal.^[1] Therefore, whereas cryptography protects the contents of a message, steganography can be said to protect both messages and communicating parties.

Steganography includes the concealment of information within computer files. In digital steganography, electronic communications may include steganographic coding inside of a transport layer, such as a document file, image file, program or protocol. Media files are ideal for steganographic transmission because of their large size. As a simple example, a sender might start with an innocuous image file and adjust the color of every 100th pixel to correspond to a letter in the alphabet, a change so subtle that someone not specifically looking for it is unlikely to notice it.

XL Delete is a secure deletion tool, that allows you to permanently delete selected files or folders, using 12 wipe methods, including Gutmann, DoD and an option to define your own. In addition to files, the program can also wipe Internet Explorer and Firefox cookies, history, and temp files as well as free space on your disk(s), and automatically wipe specified files and folders on a regular schedule. Furthermore, XL Delete integrates with your Recycle Bin right-click menu, allowing you to securely delete the content.

Counter Spy detects and removes adware and spyware from your computer, and also features areal-time protection that alerts you when potential dangers arise, stopping most spyware before it can even install. The program includes a variety of security agents that act as bodyguards to protect areas of your system that are commonly used by malware to hijack your settings, add menu items, change your home page, modify your HOSTS file and much more. If any adware or spyware items are detected during a scan, you are provided with detailed information about the offender and can choose to delete or quarantine the item(s). In addition, Counter Spy includes tools to erase Internet tracks, securely delete files, explore advanced system settings, automatic database updates, scheduled scans and more. The program also integrates with an online community (optional) to report new spyware findings.