As Congress debates how best to restrict online communications under the guise of protecting Americans from unwanted email, it behooves us to take a look at how consumers can take control of their own privacy problems. When it comes to online privacy, probably the best way broadband users can secure their private information is to install and use a firewall.

One company that has been a leader in offering firewall products is ZoneAlarm. They offer a product that is free for personal use and ask for compensation from business users. The free version works fine for most folks, but the less savvy (you know who you are) may try buying the new ZoneAlarm Pro 4.5 version.

According to their latest press release, ZoneAlarm is working with the private standards-setting organization TRUSTe to help protect unwary Internet users from a new scam called 'phishing'. The scamsters send out emails designed to look like official notices from widely-used Internet services like eBay or PayPal. The emails claim that the consumer's credit card information needs to be updated, and go so far as to direct the recipient to a site designed to look like the legitmate business' site, going so far as to have a cleverly-disguised URL address.

Once the data is acquired, the scamsters use it for purposes of identity fraud schemes -- playing havoc with the victims' accounts and credit ratings. But the new ZoneAlarm system uses TRUSTe data to verify that the websites are what they claim to be. It sounds like a handy service for Internet users who are unfamiliar with the strings of letters and symbols that call up Internet sites, or those who forget when a particular website should be asking for their information.

The new product also allows users to store passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data in an encrypted password-accessible file.

With products like ZoneAlarm and other PC-security systems serving consumer needs, it would be wise for those calling for legislative remedies to online woes to take a step back and ask if there isn't another way. Laws come with unintended consequences, and rules intended to protect privacy can often compromise it. Think about that, and check out the solutions offered by the Privacy Heroes looking to empower individual consumers before endorsing a one-size-fits-all approach.

By James Plummer

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