It's all so confusing isn't it? All the talk about viruses, spyware, trojans and other nasties. It's outrageous the amount of programmes you'd have to install to keep your computer 99% safe because some programmes will find one thing but not others and the ones that will find the others won't find the first. Sigh. Where do you begin? I shall try to keep this short but provide links to more details for those that can be bothered.

I really think it is quite ridiculous to install everything. My suggestion is instead to take a lot of care where you go on the internet, never download anything you don't know is safe, never open email attachments from anyone you don't know, avoid the use of p2p software such as limewire, don't accept files through chat programmes but instead ask the other person to email it to you. If you must visit somewhere dubious then DO install every security programme available.

BACKUP! Backup, backup!!. I am so sick of having to fix computers for friends and family that haven't backed up and I'm not doing it anymore for free. If you regularly backup then getting a virus or trojan or whatever is not really the end of the world.

Well the first good line of defense is a firewall which will block traffic between your computer and the internet that you don't request. WindowsXP was the first OS to come with it's own built in firewall however it only blocks incoming stuff and not outgoing. Therefore it is a good idea to install another firewall. I use Sygate which is no longer being updated but that doesn't seem to be a problem. It still works. ZoneAlarm is probably the biggest and best known freebie which I used to use but it just got too big and too clunky and caused a couple of errors so I gave it a miss. Take care when looking around the site that you don't end up on a Pro page or downloading the Pro version as they try to hide the freebie. Here's a link straight to the free version if you are unsure. I have tried Comodo which was good and I only uninstalled it to go back to Sygate, ol' faithful. For a look at more firewalls and what others think check out the Snapfiles Free Firewall page. Looking at it today I would probably try Filseclab Personal Firewall

Next we need a good antivirus programme and I only have one I recommend here and that is Avast 4! Home edition. It requires registration but that is free. You need to re register it when you get messages to do so. Please read the instructions on how at the website. I have never had a virus in 7 years of internet access, the last 4 using Avast. Still practice safe surfing though as Avast can't prevent a virus if it's only just come out. Avast also does it's own updates without you needing to do anything.

Ok, on to spyware. There are 4 programmes I repeatedly read about. Spyware programmes either work by scanning and removing OR by prevention and prevention is better than cure. For prevention try Spyware Blaster and/or Spyware Terminator but take care to read the user opinions before you install either. For a cure try Spybot Search and Destroy and or Ad Aware

Rootkits. What are they? I don't really know except they are nasty things that can grind your pc to a halt or cause major problems. Two programmes I know of to help, Sophos Anti-Rootkit and RootkitRevealer

Another handy thing I have used to fix a computer was Dr.Web CureIt which was brilliant for cleaning a problem and best of all it's no install. Simply download it and run it. If you know what infection you have then you might find this snapfiles page handy - Security Tools.

That's enough for now. It gets too boring. If you want to read more then try the links below
Spyware Blaster
Spybot
Ad Aware
Secure Computing

Just remembered too that microsoft have some helpful stuff for free. Yes, you heard that right, it's free. So take a look at these links too.
Windows Defender
Malicious Software Removal Tool

Oh and did I mention backing up ;) Do it! Sit at your computer now and imagine a lightning strike just hit your house and totally fried your computer - what would you lose? Precious photos of your kids or grandkids? Your latest assignment you have been working on? The email address of a long lost friend for whom you have no other contact info. Well same goes for a virus or spyware, you might not lose everything but you may lose some of it. Back It Up!. I shall do a write up shortly on what to back up and how