I'M sure many of you find your e-mail full of junk messages and spam that are usually offensive, rude and useless.

Some experts have predicted that it won't be long before spam messages make up the majority of emails being sent globally.

But although there are plans in Parliament to tackle the problem, what can you do today to block messages coming into your inbox?

Windows users can download a program like Mailwasher (www.mailwasher.net) for free, which claims to drastically reduce the number of messages.

Other alternatives include SpamPal (www.spampal.org) and Spamihilator (www.spamihilator.com).

Apple's own Mail program has a built-in spam killing feature that automatically recognises it and files it away to be deleted later.

People using other Mac email programs can download MailfilterX (www.frank-blome.de/mailfilterx/) which does the same job as Mailwasher.

AS the popularity of broadband access grows it is vital that your PC is protected from virus attacks and hackers.

The beauty of always-on access is that information is at your fingertips. But that is also its Achilles heel.

Hackers can use PCs with broadband connections to steal passwords and use the infected computer to attack other machines on the net.

So it is vital that you have a firewall and virus software that will protect you.

Your own internet provider should give information on its website about the protection on offer.

But you will also turn up a great deal of useful information if you put keywords into Google and take a browse.

THE Highways Agency is running a trial Traffic service that will highlight potential trouble spots on the country's roads.

TrafficMap (www.trafficmap.co.uk) uses cameras, matrix sign information and police control points to give a real-time service.

You can find details of particular areas of the UK, right down to motorway junctions and main roads.

The site is still in a experimental stage and some things are a little difficult to use, but this could be a valuable site to bookmark.