There are a lot of companies out there looking to sell you all sorts of programs to protect your computer. I’m a tin-foil-hat wearing paranoid so it should come as no surprise that I’m a big fan of computer security. Keep in mind that computer security does more than keep nasty hackers out, it can help improve the performance of your computer as well. By running a firewall, a virus scanner, and a spyware scanner you put up a pretty good line of defense on your personal PC. If you are like me you’re cost conscious (most people call me cheap) so I found three great programs that you can download and use for free! Just the sound of that makes my cheapskate heart sing. So with out further ado here are three downloads to keep your computer safe as well as a little explanation on what they do.
1) Firewall.
When you’re on a network information goes in and out of your computer. A firewall is like a bouncer at a club. So when your VIP information like the latest Diamondback score comes cruising up to the velvet rope of your I/O port it gets let in right away. But, when some grungy program comes up and says “Hey man let me in” the firewall bounces them, keeping them out of your super exclusive club that we’ll call your PC.
You can download a free firewall from ZoneLabs: http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp . Look for the button that says “I only want basic ZoneAlarm protection”. Or just click here to get the program.
2) Anti-Virus
Viruses are little programs that people write to do all sorts of things to your computer. They range from annoying to down right nasty. An anti-virus program will help keep your computer from getting infected in the first place and remove anything that should happen to slip by. Please remember that you should run a scan regularly. And when I say regularly, I mean a full scan at least once a week
You can get an excellent free Anti Virus program from AVG: http://free.grisoft.com/
3) Spyware
Spyware is kind of like a virus but more annoying than anything else. This is probably on your computer already and you don’t even know it. Often it gets installed when you install another program. Spyware watches what you do hence the name. It will see where you go online and then pop up an ad. What makes this even naughtier is that it is running in the background using your computer’s resources. That means your computer runs slower. How rude!
To exorcize these annoying programs grab a copy of Spybot http://www.spybot.com/ . Just make sure to update it regularly and like the virus scanner, run it regularly.
So there you go, 3 handy programs that will keep your computer safe and clean and all for free. Most places like GeekSquad charge over $100 for this service plus the cost of software. Now you can use that $100 for something else like buying me a beer, or several.
P.S. I actually have the utmost respect for hackers. They are the smart people who figure out the flaws with software and make it better. Think of it like getting sick. Yes it’s a miserable experience but afterwards your body has a stronger immune system.
