Andrew Brandt

Errors buried in millions of code have steered great corporations and turned the tide of fortunes. It's high time these flaws get the credit they deserve...

Data thieves don't have to be programming wizards to get their hands on your personal information. They often find hard drives that contain financial and other sensitive data at flea markets, charity shops, the city dump, and even on eBay. These tips will help you render an old drive's files unreadable.

Tips and free programs that can make your computer run like new. If you break your brand-new PC in right, you can keep trouble at arm's length. During break-in, you'll set the system to standby or hibernate, schedule your back-ups and customize Windows's appearance to your specific taste. Of course, you can improve any PC's performance and security by disabling many of Windows XP's automatic settings, and by activating certain features that Microsoft leaves off by default.

For many fans of the classic Mission: Impossible television series of the late sixties and early seventies, the best part came in the first five minutes, when the tape giving the assignment dissolved into a cloud of gray smoke. It's an attractive concept for anyone who deals with sensitive information: If your data is in danger of being stolen, have it self-destruct.

USB flash drives are ideal for transporting large quantities of data, but they have a knack for getting lost. Luckily, several new models are designed to protect data. Here are a few.

Law enforcement officials want to make sure that when bad guys use Net phones, the cops can listen in, but giving police that option endangers the privacy of law-abiding citizens.

Many of the most popular models of Bluetooth-enabled cell phones can be hacked easily, enabling a malicious hacker to steal phone books, images, calendar information, or virtually anything else stored on the phone, say a pair of security experts.

Attention, hackers: Uncle Sam wants you. And hackers are answering the call, or at least listening. A well-attended session at the recent Defcon 12 hackers' conference was "Meet the Feds," a recruitment presentation by a group of federal cybercrime law enforcement agents, who fielded questions from would-be cybercops.