What are the biggest security threats to my  PC? Security threats vary greatly depending on who uses a computer and how they use it.   Users without internet access who rarely install software should have little to worry about. Everyone else (the majority) must be careful to avoid being victimized by the huge tide of viruses, spyware and malware out there.   Here is a quick (by no means complete) list of things to be wary of: 1) The most serious threat is probably you. Time after time, viruses spread because people are careless or misinformed about basic PC security. Who uses your PC and what do they do? What software gets installed? What web sites are visited? Keeping track of these things is an important start. 2) Exploitable and out of date software. Don't install software you have no reason to trust and keep the software you do use updated. Most "hacks" exploit security problems which have already been fixed, but users never install. Set Windows Update to automatic and turn on "autoupdate" on all software which supports this. Regularly check vendors for updates to your most used programs. 3) Spyware/Adware/Malware. For a "multimedia rich" online experience, browser plug-ins are sometimes required. Unfortunately, some plug-ins (aka "Browser Helper Objects") can be used by web sites to install software on your machine without your knowledge. [Have someone] set your browser security settings to the most restrictive possible settings which still retaining browsing functionality. Pop-ups and scripts should be blocked by default and only enabled if you explicitly allow them for specific (trusted) sites. How can I secure my PC? First, understand a PC will never be completely secure on a network. The only truly secure environment is unplugged from the net and physically protected from any unauthorized access. That said, you can stay reasonably safe by keeping your software up to date and installing firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. Firewall: A firewall 'shields' your computer from the internet by blocking ports and programs from unauthorized access. There are 'hardware' and 'software' firewalls. A 'hardware' firewall is a dedicated box between your computer and DSL/cable modem. If you have a router, it may act as a firewall, but don't assume this. Check the documentation and make sure the firewall is enabled. A 'software' firewall is a program which runs on your computer and inserts itself between programs and the network, asking your permission whenever a new program wants to connect to the net. Software firewalls have an advantage in that they can enforce which programs on your system can access a given port... but unlike a hardware firewall, they use your system resources (ram, cpu) to run. Some well known software firewalls include ZoneAlarm, Kerio Personal Firewall and Tiny Firewall. What about Norton/Symantec? They work, but we consider them over-rated bloatware with more PR value than anything else. Symantec has a proven record of buying and ruining other company's products. Anti-virus: Anti-virus software scans your computer for virus infected files by comparing the files on your system to known virus signatures collected by the antivirus software.   Antivirus software can (and should) be configured to run all the time and monitor files you download from the internet so it can warn you before you inadvertently run an infected file. A few good (and non-resource hog) antivirus programs are Avast, Avira and AVG .   Microsoft has also recently released a promising (and *FREE*) antivirus program called Microsoft Security Essentials.   It is still new, however early reports indicate this is a very good antivirus program.   Again, due to numerous incidents of system corruption and failure attributable to their products, we do NOT recommend Norton, Symantec or McAffee consumer antivirus products. * Anti-spyware: Anti-spyware software checks your computer for spyware programs and tracking information used to report your online activities to 3rd parties for marketing purposes.   It also will typically keep track of websites distributing such software and allow you to block them at the browser. All software should be kept up to date, but anti-virus and anti-spyware programs should be updated much more frequently (daily) in order to protect you from newly released exploits. back