I have the usual high-priced software on my computer, but it's the free stuff that really helps make sitting before a screen for long periods a bit more tolerable.

I've just recently tested out Download Accelerator, and I'm now using it to replace Godzilla, another piece of free software that I've used in the past to mass download documents from a site.

You plug in the Internet address of the file into either one of these programs and they will download the file according to the parameters the user sets.

Both programs are good for downloading large files, for example the US Senate report on correspondent banking.

Better yet, if you need to continue surfing, the program allows you to pause and resume the downloads in most cases. This is a particularly useful feature if, alas, your Internet connection cuts out for one reason or another.

Download Accelerator is better than Godzilla as it will attempt to download a file from multiple locations, thus optimising the speed of your connection.

However the program's creator, Speedbit, cautions that the program really only speeds up connections if you've got a connection that's faster than a regular telephone line. I use an ISDN connection (which uses a telephone line) but still found the program so much better than Godzilla in that it was easier to use, and it did seem faster. In exchange for using the program you get to see a few unobtrusive adverts in the program. You can get the free version at www.downloadaccelerator.com.

To keep your connection from shutting down when you're downloading information try Alive and Kicking (www.thingybobs.com). Use the program if your Internet service provider automatically disconnects you from the Internet when you haven't sent a request to connect to a Web site in a certain amount of time.

The Atpomatic disconnect is a good safety feature if you forget to disconnect and are paying for the connection by the hour or, in my case, by the minute.

However if you want to download a series of files, and want the connection to remain open, Alive and Kicking will mimic use by pretending to surf a variety of sites, thus preventing the disconnect. Remember to disable the program when you don't need it.

Readers of this column have probably guessed by now that I sometimes get worked up about security issues. That's because a) I have a lot of data to lose that's important to keep OffshoreOn.com going, b) I believe that it's the number one problem that needs continuous surveillance by companies and home users and c) The security issue is not going to go away because humans can be smart.

To protect myself I've been using Zone Alarm (www.zonelabs.com) to automatically monitor my Internet connection. The program acts like a firewall and allows me to specify which programs on my computer I want to connect to the Interent, and what to allow in. The program allows you to specify the parameters for each program on your computer.

You can choose to allow a program to always access the Internet, to prevent access or to query whether the user wants the program to connect. This protection may not only prevent unauthorised access to your computer by a passing hacker, but also serves to track some of the funny stuff companies have placed on your hard drive. Many programs, including browsers, will pass information on to the Internet without the user knowing. Sites you visit are constantly placing cookies in your browser cache and these in turn will track where you surf. From the last entry in the Zone Alarm log file I can see that the program last blocked www.wjse.com, the site of a rocking New Jersey radio station, from accessing my computer a few minutes ago. Not nice.

Another free program I like is Atomic Clock Sync (www.worldtimeserver.com). I use it about twice a month to keep the internal computer clock at the correct time. OK, you may say, that's a bit rabid. Perhaps. But sometimes the computer clock gets out of whack by at least a minute a month. Now that's crazy. You'd think a computer could keep time. But it doesn't. Most computer clocks lose accuracy because many have been built with a cheap crystal to keep them in time.

When launched Atomic Clock will connect to one of the timeservers operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the US and gets the correct time. The program will then give you the option of adjusting your computer clock if the difference is greater than 15 seconds. Maintaining the correct time on your computer is important if you trade stocks online, for example.

That's just four programs that I have found useful. Next week I'll deal with some of the free software you can use to help you modify your digital photographs and create your own Internet site. Have you got any tips on useful free software, or about creating a personal site? Send them to editor yoffshoreon.com and I'll include the comments in the next column.

Tech Tattle deals with topics relating to technology. You can contact Ahmed at editor yoffshoreon.com or (33) 467901474.