User Guide

5
User’s Guide 39
5Security Features
Internet Guard D og’s security features safeguard your Internet connection
and protect t he files on your PC from prying eyes and destructive programs.
What Gatekeeper does
Gatekeeper lets you control what programs on your PC can have access to
your Internet connection. Gatekeeper can also wa rn you about any of these
potentially harmful actio ns:
• Your browser is dire cted to a harmful site—one that has been known to
contain virus-infected files (e.g., Trojan horses, prank or destructive
ActiveX controls, or other security concerns).
• A program silently uses your modem to connect to another computer.
• A program starts up another program.
• A program sends out over the Internet a number that follows a common
credit card number pattern.
Responding to Gatekeeper alert messages
Internet Guard D og can display five different Gatekeeper-related alert
messages. Ifyouareusingthe defaultsettingssuggestedbytheInterview,you
will see the messages related to Internet access, harmful sites, program s
starting another program, and programs sending out credit card-like
numbers.
Internet access alert message
Each time you start a program that attempts to use your Internet connection,
Internet Guard Dog checks to see if that program is in the list of programs
allowed to access the Internet. If the program is not in the list, Internet Guard
Dog displaysan alert message totell you that the programis trying to connect
to the Internet and asks you how to deal with the program.
Because Internet Guard Dog displays an alert the first time you start an
Internet program, you may want to start each of the Internet-connected
programs you use regularly in order to get those alerts out of the way at one
time.