Protect your PC

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Anti virus software

Anti-virus software is one of the main defences against online problems. It continually scans for viruses. To be effective it must be kept up-to-date.

Why have it

Without anti-virus software you are very vulnerable to computer viruses. Being infected by a virus can have serious consequences including:

loss of data
a slow or unusable computer
identity theft
fraud.

Anti-virus software will	Anti-virus software will not protect you against
scan incoming emails for viruses monitor files as they are opened or created to make sure they are not infected perform periodic scans of every file on the computer.	programs that you choose to install that may contain unwanted features spam any kind of fraud or criminal activity online a hacker trying to break into your computer over the internet.

Tip: For your Anti-virus software to be effective you will need to do regular updates. To do this refer to the software instructions.

Get it free

There are some companies that offer free versions of their anti-virus software. These work well on personal computers.

Tips

Do not open any files attached to an email from an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source.
You don’t have to use the anti-virus program that came with your new computer but if you decide to stick with it, don’t forget to subscribe once the free trial period is over so that you stay up-to-date.
Only use one anti-virus program at a time.
Providing you update your anti virus software, you don’t need to buy every single new release of the software to stay protected.
Free online scans are useful diagnostic tools but they are not a substitute for a proper anti-virus program that is installed on your PC.

* Hampshire County Council is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Spyware

Spyware is similar to a virus - it is an unwanted program that runs on your computer. Infection usually occurs when it is installed alongside another program, however, it does not try to replicate itself to other machines. Increasingly, spyware is blending with viruses making it harder to eradicate and harder to avoid.

One type of spyware is Adware. Adware is designed to get you to visit commercial websites, typically for gambling and porn and it can:

pop-up unwanted adverts, including offensive material
download adverts from the internet
hijack your browser so that new menus appear or your default home page or search page is changed
put new icons on your desktop.

More sinister versions of adware can:

block access to certain websites
try to get you to shut down anti-virus or anti-spyware defences
block updates to these defences
be extremely hard or impossible to remove
track your online activities in an effort to send you more adverts.

Why stop spyware

Spyware can:

let strangers see what you are doing online
weaken your computer’s defences
make you a target for online criminals
make your computer slow and unreliable.

Clearing up a spyware infection can be very difficult.

How to stop spyware

Wherever possible, buy reputable software from reputable companies.
If you download free software from the internet, exercise caution and download it from trusted websites that operate a no-spyware policy.
Be especially wary of programs that appear to be pirated or distributed file sharing networks.
Be wary of ‘free’ programs that might be paid for by advertising.
Be wary of ‘free’ programs that offer to install additional programs during the install process.
Read the small print on licences for programs you download from the internet to make sure that you aren’t giving permission for adware to be installed on your computer.
Be careful about the websites you visit. Avoid dodgy sites because these can also install spyware.
Stick to trusted anti-spyware applications.

Firewall

Because the internet is a public network, any connected computer can find and connect to any other connected computer. A firewall is a barrier between the public internet and your private computer system.

A firewall protects you against a number of different online threats:

Hackers breaking into your computer.
Some viruses, called “·worms,” that spread from computer to computer over the internet.
Some firewalls block outgoing traffic that might originate from a virus infection.

What it doesn't do

A firewall isn’t sufficient on its own to guarantee security, it is only the first line of defence.

You also need to take the other protective steps, eg anti-virus and anti-spyware software

A firewall provides limited or no protection:

if you give permission for other computers to connect to yours
if it is switched off, disabled or contains many exceptions or open ports
against most viruses
against spam
against spyware installations
against any kind of fraud or criminal activity online
if a hacker has the password for the firewall
against people with physical access to your computer
against malicious traffic that does not travel through it, for example via a poorly configured wireless network
against attacks after a network has been compromised
against traffic that appears to be legitimate.

Tip: None of these things give a reason NOT to install a firewall, but a firewall on its own is not enough for complete security.

Windows updates

As new threats emerge, Microsoft will update its Windows operating system and Microsoft Office applications to block them.

You need to download these updates regularly to be sure of getting maximum protection.

Why update

Like locksmiths and burglars, hackers and software manufacturers are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game. Hackers try to find and exploit bugs and loopholes in popular software in order to get into people’s computers. Developers try to close these loopholes as they are discovered.

If passwords are the door key and a firewall and anti-virus software is your alarm system, installing patches is like making sure that you don’t leave any windows open.

Benefits

Protects against some viruses.
Protects against some hacker tricks.
Improves performance.
Fixes bugs.
Adds features.

How to update

For Windows, go to the Windows Update site* and follow the instructions.
There are instructions on the site that will enable your computer to automatically download and install updates as they become available.
Check with software companies, via their website, periodically for updates for other applications you may have.