Infreemation

Protect your Windows PC for free

First in a series of articles about useful things: how to protect your personal computer running Windows when it hooked up to the internet, and do it for free!

A combination of Anti-Virus, Firewall and Anti-Spyware is essential for any general purpose internet user running a windows PC, here are my top recommendations for budget users:

Antivirus: Grisoft’s AVG
Antivirus programs have been around for a long time. This one is good enough for personal use without costing you anything!

Firewall: ZONEALARM
Don’t mistake the one built into windows as a real firewall. All the scary stuff makes outbound connections from your computer and Windows can’t stop it.

Anti-Spyware: Microsoft’s Windows Defender
AND Safer Networking’s Spybot Search and Destroy

Never run more than one software firewall or anti-virus product on the same PC, these products integrate with Windows and can conflict with each other. The same is not true (yet) for anti-spyware products which complement each other.

I have lots of other more specific advice such as using alternatives to Internet Explorer and Outlook (Opera or Mozilla), improving your passwords, if anyone has any particular requests let me know.