MICROSOFT are set to make it more difficult to open documents you receive from colleagues.

In the forthcoming release of Microsoft's Office Professional 2003 more security will be provided for files stored on a computer or sent by e-mail.

Any file can be locked for certain users and unlocked for others, meaning that only those with permission can read or edit it.

This has been possible over corporate networks for some time but the next step is to expand the system so that it works across the internet.

So if a file lands in the hands of a third party, they won't be able to open it.

And people will be able to send e-mail messages and prevent the recipient from copying the text, printing them out, or forwarding them on to others.

This is a clever move on Microsoft's part, and a sensible response to the ongoing security issues with Windows.

But problems will arise as it is only possible to open the file with the software that created it, even earlier versions won't be able to.

You will be able to use a viewer to see the contents of the file but if you need to edit it then you will have to spend some money on an upgrade.

THE Government has made spam a criminal offence in an attempt to stop inboxes overflowing with junk email.

The new law, which takes effect on December 11, could see spammers fined £5,000 in a magistrates court or an unlimited penalty from a jury.

Under the law, companies will have to get permission from an individual before they can send them an e-mail or text message.

But the regulations do not cover business e-mail addresses, despite some calls for a blanket ban on spam.

The UK legislation also sets guidelines for the use of cookies, electronic tags that help websites keep track of visitors.

In future, people will be able to insist that sites do not store their personal information.

However, the majority of spam comes from the United States and Asia, and will be outside the new law's reach, so don't expect a dramatic fall in messages.