OK, when your computer takes five minutes to open a program, it’s probably time to clean it out. This post is more about preventative care rather than about the actual savior of your machine.

When you get a computer, the first thing you want to install is a security program. One example is Norton Anti-Virus. When you buy your computer, the salesperson probably tried to sell you a program. Really, you don’t need Norton or McAfee. They don’t work that well. Instead, all you need is something mentioned below.

For the cheapskates

Free anti-virus programs are a dime a dozen. Two examples are AVG Free and Avast. I personally use AVG which is an excellent program for protecting your computer. Get it at free.avg.com. But not only do you need a good anti-virus, you need a good firewall and a good spy-bot program. Comodo Firewall Pro and Spy-Bot Search and Destroy get the job done for free. And don’t forget to check for updates before running checks.

For the buyers

NOD32 is one of the better antivirus programs. The program itself costs $40.00 dollars a year. For firewall and spybots, you don’t even need to pay. Both Comodo Firewall Pro and Spy-Bot Search and Destroy get the job done for free. And don’t forget to check for updates before running checks. (That’s the second time I have said that. Which means it’s important. I will say it once again for emphasis. And don’t forget to check for updates before running checks.)

No security program can protect you from all threats. Be smart: avoid downloading from unknown sources or entering your bank account code on suspect websites.

Links

AVG: free.avg.com
Avast!: avast.com
Comodo Firewall Pro: http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/download_firewall.html
Spybot Search and Destroy: safer-networking.org
NOD32: eset.com