UK online for business, the DTI's help centre for the smaller trader wishing to find out about working electronically, has gone all security-minded and put a new section on its site (www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk) dedicated to people who want to protect their data. The section is at www.ukonlineforbusiness .gov.uk/informationsecurity and includes tools, advice and case studies on how real companies have made a difference with security technology. One of the highlights is a 20-minute questionnaire in which you can assess how exposed you are to risks, and which will offer neutral advice on what to do about it. It's free of charge and offers links to the police and other areas that will help in the event of a cyber-crime being committed.

· Worried about disposing of old computers without damaging the environment? OK, it's not top of the agenda for many business people, but the Environment Agency regards it as sufficiently important to have set up a website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs. The idea is to educate businesses of all sizes about their obligations and will eventually cover 100 specific industries as well as offering general advice to all comers. You can log on anonymously; if you're concerned you may be in breach of regulations, the regulator doesn't have to know while you're just checking.

· How useful would £40,000 be? Thought so - and this is the exact sum on offer from the E-Commerce Awards, although naturally this is spread across a few categories. Formally launching on March 13, the cash will be awarded for Voluntary & Community, E-Business Start-up, E-Trading and E-Business, as well as innovation and a new award recognising implementation of the DTI's Technology Means Business accreditation. The overall winner will leave the scheme with £190,000 in their corporate pocket. Sponsored by UK online for business and InterForum, details on entry into the initial regional heats will be at www.ecommerce-awards.co.uk on the 13th.

· One of the difficulties in managing a growing company is that there aren't enough sockets for all the PCs you might need to network. Power adapters are one thing; networking specialist 3Com has produced a similar concept with its "network jack", which allows four devices to work from a single 10/100 network socket on the wall. Network administrators should save around 60% of the cost of a more traditional four sockets in the wall, and of course if the requirement changes it can be moved elsewhere. It costs around £80 depending on the retailer.

· Lufthansa has become the first airline to offer in-flight broadband connections for its passengers. The scheme, which is running for a three-month trial period on flights between Frankfurt and Washington DC runs off a connection with the Eutelsat satellite, which communicates with the Boeing 747s while they're travelling. Passengers can then get their emails, surf the web and book cheaper tickets for next time, and the service is free of charge at least during the trial period. It's catchily entitled "FlyNet" and a decision will be taken on whether to continue the service depending on take-up.

· People who have wanted a lawyer on hand in their office are being offered the next best thing by FasTrak Software Publishing with its Desktop Lawyer software, which comes in personal and business editions (£29.99 and £49.99 respectively). The business edition contains customisable documents with unlimited use, and links so you can get additional input from real live lawyers at a fixed cost to check documents should you need it. Shareholder agreements, start-up agreements and employment law all come within the scope of the business product and you also get 50% off the price of web service LawAssure, which has online documents and a database of legal information. The product doesn't vanish into meetings or charge £100 per minute when you ask it to type a letter, so it's not a substitute for the real thing.

· Also with a legal bent is SurfControl, a company offering a free guide to communications and what you should and shouldn't do. Called the Legal Guide to Employee Monitoring it has input from employment specialist Hammonds and aims to help people deal with areas of the Human Rights Act 1998, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 that are less than clear or which appear to clash with each other. Possibly more importantly, it offers advice on how to set up an Acceptable Use Policy that will be both reasonable and enforceable for companies that fear their liability if staff abuse the email system. It's free of charge so help yourself to a copy at www.surfcontrol.com/go/pmlegal.