Preventing the theft of protected items of user data in computer controlled communication networks by intruders posing as trusted network sites

In a network of a plurality of network sites accessible from a plurality of computer controlled user display terminals, a method comprising:

• initiating an intended transmission from a user display terminal of user data to a selected network site;
• maintaining a first listing, associated with said with said user display terminal, of protected user data items;
• maintaining a second listing, associated with said user display terminal, of the addresses of trusted network sites to which each of said protected user data items may be transmitted;
• and
• alerting a user responsive to the intended transmission of a protected item from said user display terminal to a selected non-trusted network site.

A computer program comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes a user display terminal in a network to:

• initiate an intended transmission from said user display terminal of user data to a selected network site;
• maintain a first listing, associated with said with said user display terminal, of protected user data items;
• maintain a second listing, associated with said user display terminal, of the addresses of trusted network sites to which each of said protected user data items may be transmitted;
• and
• alert a user responsive to the intended transmission of a protected item from said user display terminal to a selected non-trusted network site.