Free Protection for Your Computer

How do you keep your computer free from attacks off of the Internet? I have been working to protect and secure both laptops and desktop PCs since the late 1990's. I have since come across several ways to protect your computer, from threats via the Internet, for free!

Now the Internet is one of the most useful tools in today's fast paced society, but along with its good side comes a dark, malicious part, from which trojans, keyloggers, virus's, spyware and other sorts of problem causing and PC security threatening programs have arisen. It is

unfortunate that people have created such evil tools to harm others computers, and steal private information, but the reality is that the problems do exist. The question then remains: What will you do to protect your investment (your computer, and your personal information on it) from such devious schemes? My solution? You will need to at least cover the three basic types of protection for your Windows based OS PC (sorry Mac users-I'm a PC guy!).

First off, get a good antivirus program. Many of these programs charge a monthly, or yearly fee, or cost a lot for a one time purchase. While some of these often come bundled most PCs sold today, they are often only for a trial period, and quickly expire, leaving you vulnerable to threats from the Internet. Instead of paying a hefty price for Norton or some of the other popular antivirus programs out there, get AVG AntiVirus Free Edition-yep, that is right-for free! It is a very popular anti-virus program, and is used by many PC users throughout the world. You can download it from the publisher of AVG's website, Grisoft. They also offer other versions for a cost, but I am sticking with their free version for now. Why? Because it works great-I haven't had any problems with it! It is very easy to install, and doesn't seem to hog much system resources to scan your computer.

Now that you have some protection in the form of antivirus, let's move to firewalls. Most new Windows based PCs have a built in Windows firewall, but I also like to install a second firewall for extra security. So, I turn to ZoneAlarm, another wonderful free security program that has

helped keep my PCs safe for a long time. It is also available for a free download on many download websites, and on the ZoneAlarm company site. It works in a similar fashion to the Windows Firewall, and allows you to select what programs may or may not access the Internet. It also warns you of attempts to breakin-in to your PC from the Internet, and of changes made on your computer that may not be authorized by you. For gamers, it is important to remember to check 'allow' before booting up a game for the first time, as ZoneAlarm may cause your game to freeze as it frantically tries to break through your firewall and access the Internet-clicking 'allow' before playing it the first time enables ZoneAlarm not to block it, and allow it to always access the Internet.

After you have antivirus and a good firewall, get an antispyware program. Once again, there are many 'pay to use' antispyware programs out there, but I have found a wonderful one for free, called Spybot: Search and Destroy. Also available for free download from its parent company, Spybot functions by allowing the user to scan for spyware, and eliminating it from the computer. It really is a good way to clean up a computer infected with a lot of spyware that is slowing down the computer, and the Internet connection speed. Get it, and run it every so often to keep your computer as free of spyware as possible-nobody likes junk on their computer hogging valuable system resources.

Finally, for all of you who own a laptop (or even desktop computer) consider installing in a free "tracking" program through "laptoplock." The laptoplock is a safe, free way to register your computer with an internet tracking agent that can trace the ISP address of your computer if it is stolen and plugged into the internet in some foreign location. Additionally, the laptoplock gives you suggestions on how to create "safe" files on your computer-ways to protect your more confidential information that you may have on your computer in the event that it is stolen.

Take these easy, and FREE programs, and your computer will be much more secure. Still, a little bit of monitoring by yourself never hurt, so always be cautious about going to websites that look suspicious, or downloading anything from a website you do not trust. Stay safe online, and your computer will be thanking you!