How to Protect your new computer
Author: mety Labels:: How to Protect your new computerSo you have a new computer straight out of the box and you can't wait to get online. I would think twice about it. It is a fact that it could take as little as 30 seconds for your new computer to end up with a virus or worm if it is unprotected. Things You'll Need
1-First turn on your firewall. Some operating systems have this option on by default but it is always good to double check. From your start menu choose Control Panel then Security Center and finally Windows Firewall. Make sure the radio button for ON is lit up and click ok.
2-Another key to this is to keep your computer updated. Windows comes out with updates that allow you to avoid some security threats all together. You can find these updates at www.windowsupdate.com At the very least install the critical updates for your operating system.
3-At this point you should install some type of anti-virus software, I use AVG. It is free software for personal use and does not use up lots of memory like Norton. You can find it for download at many places but I suggest free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5 for a good virus free download.
4-Other options that you have are installing a new firewall that protects and covers more then the Windows Firewall does. Zone alarm is a good option. There are many to choose from so be sure to look around for the one with the best options for you. You will have to turn off your Windows Firewall to install another or they may conflict with each other.
5-You can also use anti-spyware programs that run scans on your computer for spyware that might have made it past. I like the Adaware program which is also free for personal use. There are other options from Spybot that will clean in addition to the Adaware program. At this point it depends on what your surfing habits are like. If you like to jump around to a whole lot of sites including online shopping then both these programs are a must.
6-The most important part of this protection is to keep it all up to date. Some of the programs will update automatically or give you the option before each scan. Check back to the websites often to ensure that you have the most update patches and definitions for your protection programs.
