Internet security systems for your home
We all have our favorite online destinations. However, when you surf the Web, how sure are you that the site you’re visiting is safe and secure? If your computer has never been affected by malware, then lucky you. Computer security sites would often say that one out of every 1,000 web pages contains malicious scripts.
So how do you prevent these malware from attacking your PC? It’s by using Internet security systems. Today, most computer security software developers like Norton, McAfee, and Trend Micro, offer these systems. They often include a combination of tools like anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software. The combination of these three are often enough to prevent your PC from getting attacked or infected by malware.
While these systems guarantee good security, the drawback is that you have to buy them, and, for the average Filipino home, they can be a bit expensive. It’s a good thing there are freeware alternatives that you can use. They might not come as a system, but these individually-installed software can still function as a security system.
Anti-virus
Even if you don’t surf the web, it’s important to have an anti-virus software installed. You can’t be too sure about the files you download over the Internet. On the average, thumb drives account for a lot of virus infections so every computer still needs one. Here are some anti-virus software that you can get for free:
I personally use AVG on my personal computer. What I like about it is that it, is that it also comes with a link-scanning feature that scans URLs that I visit with my Mozilla Firefox browser and warns me if a page I am visiting is known to be malicious.
Anti-Spyware
Having a link-scanning feature might not be enough to prevent getting malware into your computer. As a second level of security, you need to have an anti-spyware or a spyware removal tool. These would monitor and scan your computer from potentially intrusive programs that could get some of your personal information. Here are some of the more popular free anti-spyware software:
- Spybot – S&D
- SpywareBlaster
- Spyware Terminator
- Windows Defender (requires an authentic copy of Windows)
Firewall
Firewalls limit the ways in which your computer connects to the Internet. By asking you for permission before allowing software to connect to the Internet, you can make sure that only those software that you allow get to send and receive information. Malware often exploits unprotected connections to attack your computer or, if your computer’s already infected, send information from your computer. Window’s built-in firewall in Windows XP doesn’t really offer that much of a protection. It has improved for Windows Vista, though. Here are some free alternatives:
Final Notes
Having these systems will definitely give you good layers of protection. However, no system is 100% foolproof. New malware emerges just about every day. Making sure that you update these software would help you stay on top of these new threats. Monitoring your surfing habits (like visiting only credible websites and never clicking on those spam messages you get in e-mails) would also help keep your computers clean.
