In a survey conducted last year, the e-mail security firm Proofpoint found that 37 percent of companies in the United States used software to monitor office use of Web mail.

If you are not afraid of tinkering around with third-party freeware and shareware, programs like FreePOPs (www.freepops.org) or Web2POP (www.jmasoftware.com) may also help you bring your Web mail to Outlook Express.

I've asked myself that question repeatedly in the last 15 years every time a machine failed or I needed an upgrade for various Web, mail, and database servers.

"Other options might be to obliterate certain cookies when a browser is closed and avoid logging in to other services, such as Web mail, offered by a search engine."

We are already living in the cloud, far beyond Web mail.

It also markets its products through print advertising, direct mail, Web mail, and telemarketing.

As for e-mail, ask your Internet provider if it supports secure connections like encrypted Web mail, or see if you can get a Virtual Private Network connection from your office's technology department.

Check with your I.S.P. before leaving home, because some services require you to register for Web mail in advance.

Designed to monitor online messaging other than email, the appliance monitors Web mail, message boards, blogs and FTP-based communications.

In addition to massive computing power and many other Web services, Yahoo brings a robust Web mail network and photo site Flickr to the table.