Firewall, Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware

Security Software to Keep your Computer Safe

Ask any family member today about how secure their home computer is, and you are bound to hear the confident reply that their PC is protected by a firewall. In an age where identity theft, hacking and many other forms of computer intrusion are commonplace, most people don't even know what a firewall is.

A firewall software only protects your end of the network. Some people believe that the Windows PC firewall is enough, when in truth it doesn't protect the computer from anything.

This is especially troubling because with today's advancement in technology, especially with password sniffing and remote keystrokes detection already well established, every household computer needs a triad of protection software.

These should be basic: a robust firewall, anti-virus and an anti-spyware. Gone are the days when merely having a firewall and anti-virus software is enough. These two programs cannot detect if someone is out to steal your identity or your credit card information.

Firewall, Anti-virus and Anti-Spyware

Families cannot afford to settle for anything less than having these three essential software in their computer. There is no excuse to take chances with your computer.

Yet chance-taking is prevalent. In fact, even when a household PC is wired with this triad of software, mom and dad agree that's all there is to it. Who cares about updates? Who has time for those?

Updates are just as important as the three software combined. In fact, not performing regular updates is just like having no protection at all. Threats are constantly morphing into other forms of threats.

Free Security Software Available on the Web

Cannot afford computer protection? You can have a free Comodo firewall, Avira anti-virus and Spyware Terminator without paying a cent. Updating is easy as a push of a button. You can even work on you PC while the updates are loading. Of course, it slows surfing a bit, but you can operate sufficiently.

Here is another notion that is as common as it is wrong. Leave the anti-virus alone, it will automatically watch computer viruses for you, and squash them like a bug when they show up. True?

False! Although most anti-virus programs are on guard day and night, you still need to run a full computer scan on a regular basis. This is because the most common computer viruses are the Trojans, which as their name implies, masquerade as some sort of friendly software, file, or download on your computer. Allowing the anti-virus software to recheck the system for you is a healthy habit.

Weekly Anti-Virus Complete Scan Recommended

It may be an intrusion into your surfing time, but it is well worth it. Try to do it weekly while you're watching TV or washing the dishes. The truth is, most anti-virus system scans can take hours, especially if your computer has many files.

You cannot leave the PC to do it while you sleep. Because what happens when the software detects a virus? It will wait forever for your valuable mouse click to quarantine or quash the bug. This is not like doing a computer defragmentation which allows you to leave your PC to take care of by itself.