Personal firewalls
A firewall is the first line of defence between your computer and the Internet. A firewall allows you to control what information comes in to your computer and also what information goes out onto the Internet. It is crucial to controlling who can access your computer and therefore protecting you from hackers and other unwelcome guests.

• Symantec’s well respected Norton brand has high quality firewalls that feature regular live updates for the latest threats (www.symantec.co.nz).
• If you’re on a budget, you can download free or low-cost firewall software from companies like Zone Labs (www.zonelabs.com)

Operating system and application security patches
Patches are small pieces of software that update or fix problems with a program or a computer’s operating system. They are released regularly to fix holes in a computer’s security system. It is important to keep up-to-date with the latest patches if you are to stay one step ahead of any threats.

If you’re using Windows then these fixes are available through the Windows Update service. You have to be on the Internet to get the fixes and you have to be using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser.

• You can go to the Microsoft site at www.windowsupdate.com and follow the instructions.
• Or you can go to “Tools” at the top of the browser and click on “Windows Update.”

Follow the directions on the site where it will “scan for updates” and if it recommends you install something called “critical updates” this means it has made a fix to cure a potential security problem in one of its products that you use. Install all critical updates.

Other types of operating systems, such as Apple Macintosh or Linux, are updated in different ways. Check with the maker of your operating system to find out more, for example at www.apple.com, www.redhat.com or www.debian.com.

Anti-virus software
Viruses are pieces of code that attach to your computer and make it behave in unwanted ways. They can be extremely destructive or relatively harmless. A virus usually gains access to your computer via email attachments or from software you install from a CD or DVD. Anti-virus software will scan emails and discs for viruses as well as fix viruses that have already infected your computer.

Companies such as Symantec (www.symantec.co.nz) release regular anti-virus software such as their Norton AntiVirus series. It is important to regularly visit the website of your anti-virus software company to check for the latest virus warnings and update your software to deal with the latest threats.

Virus alerts are also available from Trend Micro (www.trendmicro.com), Panda Antivirus (www.pandasoftware.com), and McAfee (www.mcafee.com/au).

Anti-spyware software
Spyware is a file placed on your computer that can send back information to a third party about your online habits. In its worst form, spyware can be used to access personal information such as bank accounts or credit card details. To detect and eliminate spyware on your computer you will need to install anti-spyware software. Ad-aware and Spybot Search and Destroy are two of the better-known anti-spyware programs available.

They are easy to download and are free online. Ad-aware is at www.lavasoftusa.com and Spybot can be downloaded from www.safer-networking.org. It also pays to regularly go to these websites to check for updates to the latest spyware threats.