Your Computer: What You Don't Know Could Hurt You
You can get free anti-malware (anti-virus/anti-spyware) software here from AVG. You will also receive free automatic updates that will include the latest virus/spwyare definition files. Microsoft also offers free anti-malware software which includes free automatic updates. You should run only one anti-malware program in real-time active mode on your computer. However, you can have multiple programs on your computer that run passively, i.e. you have to ask the program to scan your computer. Two example of passive anti-malware programs are Malwarebytes Antimalware and Super Anti-Spyware.
One of the most dangerous viruses is named Conficker. It is particularly difficult to get rid of because it can disable your antivirus sofware. To test whether your computer has Conficker, visit the Conficker eye chart and follow the directions.
You can see ratings of 19 anti-malware products here.
I highly recommend Site Advisor. This program can be downloaded for free from the internet. Once the Site Advisor software is on your computer, if you do a search with Google or Yahoo or MSN, Site Advisor will tell you which websites are safe, and which websites have spyware on them or are known to send out spam. Most programs protect you after your computer is infected with spyware or spam. Site Advisor protects you before you visit a website with spyware on it. Unfortunately, Site Advisor does not work with AOL. Some versions of anti-spwyare programs mentioned above, now offer the same service as Site Advisor.
Everyone should go to this site at Microsoft, which will automatically download "patches" to update your computer. These patches will close security holes and make your computer less vulnerable to the "bad guys" who write viruses and spyware.
If you have Windows XP SP2 or SP3 or Windows Vista or Windows 7, you already have a firewall on your computer. If you don't have a firewall, I recommend going to this website, where you can obtain a free firewall called Zone Alarm that is even better than the one that comes with Windows because it is a 2 way firewall.
The Google toolbar contains a feature that blocks pop up ads and it is available free.