I've successfully defended my computer from attacks by the Klez e-mail virus. Yes I did, since I received the virus three times over the past two weeks, the last two times on 23 May.

I and others who take the time to update our anti-virus software weekly, or even twice weekly, and also regularly install the necessary patches issued by Microsoft and Apple, have take the precautions that are necessary these days. We seem to be the exception, since the relatively simple Klez virus has taken over top spot from SirCam as the must virulent e-mail virus of all time, according to Wired magazine.

Klez started showing up in our mailboxes in mid-April, and both Symantec's Norton AntiVirus software and McAfee immediately issued updates to protect computer users from it. Those who get infected right now have only themselves to blame.

Okay, I'll stop the lecture right now and give you some advice you can use. If you get infected, don't despair. Symantec has a removal tool to automatically extract Klez and its variants. The tool will stop the virus from further operations, remove registry entries created by Klez, and repair files that can be repaired. Simply go on the Internet to www.norton.com to get the tool. Symantec also has a detection tool you can run to detect if your computer has been infected by Klez. Both tools are available to subscribers and non-subscribers to the Symantec service.

Once you have cleaned up your computer, update your virus definitions. Symantic has now given users of its Norton AntiVirus the choice to update virus definitions daily through its Intelligent Updater system. Previously virus updates were issued only weekly through the automatic LiveUpdate system. If you go to the Symantic site you can also run online a security and virus check of your system. This is not a plug for Symantic. I just find the information on the site easier to understand and use.

McAfee can be a bit more technical. However all antivirus and security service providers are attempting to make their products more user friendly. McAfee has introduced its online SecurityCentre, which makes it easier to check security installations.

SecurityCentre can measure a network or a computer's vulnerability to hackers. You should also download and run Microsoft's cumulative patch for Internet Explorer, issued on May 15. The patch fixes six new vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow code of attacker's choice to run. Those using Microsoft Windows NT 4, Microsoft Windows NT 4 Server, Terminal Server Edition, and Microsoft Windows 2000 should note that a patch for these products was issued on May 22. The patch fixes a vulnerability that allows unauthorised users to log into a company's computer network. Those with Macintosh computers who use Microsoft's Office and Internet Explorer software should download a patch posted on 16 April.

To find links to all the patches and updates visit the Hong Kong government' s Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre at www.hongkongcert.org. This is a very good site for keeping your computer protected.

Those who are always wondering how to mimic a certain shade of colour on a web page or in a graphic editor will find Colour Cop a very useful program. Colour Cop, available at www.datastic.com, allows you to sample any colour from a graphic or web page, or anywhere on your computer. In simple terms Colour Cop then tells you what RGB numbers you need to input in your graphics program or in your HTML code to recreate a particular colour.

Colour Cop has a built in colour picker, a preview window, an auto copy to clipboard function, and an eyedropper to allow you to choose colours anywhere on the screen. One feature I find useful is a magnifier control that allows the user to increase the size of any part of an image so you can focus in on very fine details. Thus very small groups of colours, such as that used for a particular text, can be isolated and then selected with the eyedropper tool. Colour Cop also has what is called a "websafe" pallet. This is a group of 216 colours that will show up on your Web page the way you want them to appear. You can download Colour Cop from www.datastic.com.

Tech Tattle deals with topics relating to technology. Contact Ahmed at editoroffshoreon.com