How to Protect Your PC

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PC security software is a necessity for any PC connecting to the Internet. However, deciding which PC security software to use can be tough. Major PC security software companies have deals with the large PC manufacturers to include trial versions of their software in the hopes that when the trial is over, you'll hand over your hard-earned cash for continued protection. The tactic works: People are so confused over what to do, they just pay the money. Who really wants to figure out how to replace the security software that came with the PC or what to replace it with?

Norton and McAfee antivirus products are the two most popular and most widely used. However, their PC security software has become so complex and complicated that it cannot only be difficult to understand and operate, but it can also severely degrade a computer's performance. Security suites have become so bloated they can even cause computers to crash upon installation. And uninstalling them can render a computer completely unusable if the uninstall does not complete correctly. Also, even after being successfully uninstalled, many files, folders and registry entries related to the PC security software are often left behind, requiring a manual clean-up to actually rid yourself of them completely.

What's more, if you don't renew your annual license subscription with these PC security software programs, your protection becomes more useless with each passing day, yet the software continues to run. This often leads to people believing (falsely) they are still being protected without renewing the license. Having PC security software is not enough – that software must be updated daily (sometimes several times a day) to keep up with new threats that are created by Internet bad guys throughout the day, each and every day!

The problem stems from these PC security software companies offering to protect your PC from everything, in one software package. That results in large applications that consume your precious PC resources and tax your system's performance as a result. To add insult to injury, it is not uncommon for these PC security programs to cause your computer to crash or lose some functionality (like the ability to connect to the Internet) when a faulty update is released. Sometimes, the PC security software has a weakness that the hackers can use to take over your computer. Other times, the PC security software can be running properly and as it is intended, and still not be protecting you!

Ironic, isn’t it?

Software, in general, has become so complex over the years, it is virtually impossible to remove and prevent all possible flaws. All software is a work in progress. For example, Windows XP was released in October of 2001 and more than six years later, updates are still coming out to patch and correct its flaws. And for as long as Microsoft continues to support Windows XP, it will continue to release patches and updates as they are discovered and corrected, indefinitely.

I stopped paying 'protection money' years ago, and you can, too! Here's how:

Firewalls
First understand that there is no need to install 'all-in-one' security software. If you have a high-speed Internet connection, then you should already have a router. This router, among other things, acts as a hardware-based firewall to keep out the bad guys and Internet worms. Furthermore, Windows XP and Vista already have built-in software firewalls that also protect you from Internet bad guys and worms, and none of these firewalls tax your system resources as a result. While Windows Vista's firewall is a bit better because it offers out-bound protection (if you know how to enable it), it is my belief that out-bound protection is unnecessary. Watching what data flows out of your computer is not as important as watching what data is arriving. However, some technical types argue that they want to know everything going in and out of their computer, and that's fine, because there are free software firewalls that will accomplish this task admirably.

To turn on your Windows XP firewall, click the Start button, click Control Panel, click on the Security Center icon and finally, click on Windows Firewall located at the bottom of the window.

AntiVirus
AntiVirus software is very important, and unlike firewalls mentioned above, no version of Windows comes with any sort of antivirus protection. But you don't need to pay any company to have adequate antivirus protection. Several companies offer free antivirus that have been found to work just as well (in most cases) or better than the paid alternatives.

Anti-Spyware
Spyware has almost replaced viruses in the sense that it has become more common and can be very difficult to remove once you're infected. However, there are some great, free anti-spyware programs that do a great job of protecting you and won't cost you a penny. Microsoft offers an anti-spyware application called Windows Defender to all Windows XP users, and it comes pre-installed with Windows Vista. In addition, a great free utility called SpywareBlaster maintains a constantly updated list of Web sites that are known for distributing spyware. Rather than constantly run in the background, consuming your computers precious resources, SpywareBlaster simply configures the Internet security settings already built into Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox. As a result, any time you try to access a Web site that is on the 'bad' list and known to be dangerous, the browsers effectively go into a "safe mode."

Anti-Phishing
Internet Explorer 7, which is a free downloadable upgrade for all Windows XP users and is already pre-installed with Windows Vista, has built-in anti-phishing software. To enable it (or to verify it is already enabled), start Internet Explorer, click Tools, select Phishing Filter and select turn on automatic Phishing Filter (recommended).

For even more free protection, you can download and install TrendMicro's TrendProtect. TrendProtect is a simple browser add-on that will display a site's reputation before you go to it. For example, after performing a search with Google, MSN or Yahoo, the results display with red, green or yellow dots beside them. TrendProtect rates those pages so you can decide if you want to visit or avoid a given site. TrendProtect has an extensive database that covers content category, Phishing scam detection and site and page reputation. And it's completely free!

For additional protection from rogue Web sites, OpenDNS offers a unique way to protect your computer, also for free, but without using any software. Just make two changes to your computer's network settings, and you're protected! It's incredibly simple and effective, and it's all explained in detail here: OpenDNS

All-In-One Security Software
If you'd still rather have one piece of software that does everything, there are free versions of these as well. Well I personally don't recommend using one piece of software to protect from everything, the choice is entirely yours and these products are excellent in spite of being free:

CyberDefender
Blink Personal Edition (free for one year)

Summary
When it comes to protecting your computer from all the threats that exist on the Internet, you have many free choices. Remember, use only one anti-virus application and one firewall application. Also, uninstall any pre-existing anti-virus and/or firewall software before downloading and installing any of our recommendations. We list several applications in the same category so that you may try them and decide for yourself which you prefer. Having two (or more) anti-virus programs or firewall applications running at the same time will often result in poor system performance and may even cause the application to not work properly. Please note that although your router is already a firewall, it is perfectly acceptable to run a software firewall on your computer for added protection without worrying about any interference between them.

All of the applications listed here will automatically self-update, just like the paid products you may already be familiar with. The only exception is SpywareBlaster, which you must manually check for updates which occur only once or twice a month. For $9.95, SpywareBlaster will self-update for one year, but that is the only difference between the paid and free version.

After you determine – and use – any of these great free security software alternatives, have fun thinking about what you can do with all of the extra money you'll save each and every year as a result!

By Carey Holzman, writer for Digital Landing