Secure your PC and protect your customer's data

You need at least three components in your computer security lineup:

• A hardware firewall
• An Anti-virus program
• Updates

A hardware firewall usually comes in the form of a router that provides your access to high speed internet. Your DSL modem may be a router, and your wireless router certainly is. Make sure you change the default password in your router's setup or you are still wide open to hackers.

An anti-virus program will help keep your computer safe from...viruses! Nod32 seems to be a favorite of security experts, costs $40 a year, scans fast and uses very few system resources. Another option, Comodo Anti-virus is free and offered to business users as well as home users.

Updates are required to patch security vulnerabilities in the software on your PC. Windows, Internet Explorer, Firefox and the Acrobat Reader all have regular updates to elemintate security holes. You can use Windows Update to take care of Windows, Internet Explorer and the Office applications. Firefox automatically issues updates. With other programs, such as the Acrobat Reader, you can get updates from the software publisher's web site.

If you are a computer novice, it's best to set updates on Automatic in the Windows Security Center. If you are a bit more experienced, you should keep an eye on Woody's Patch Watch to see if the current Windows patches are causing any problems. Regardless of your experience or enthusiasm for the task, it is still vitally important to keep up with patches. Your customer's info needs to be kept secure!

Other programs on your computer can be outdated and present security risks as well. Try Secunia's free online Software Inspector to test most all of the software on your system. Then you'll know which programs have security holes and need to be updated.

It's also a really good idea to have anti-spyware tools available. Windows Defender is available for free download for Microsoft XP users, and it comes pre-loaded on Vista computers. There are a few other highly rated anti-spyware programs. Perhaps Spyware Doctor with Antivirus or CounterSpy might be worth a look.

Anti-virus, anti-spyware and software firewalls are found all together in a profusion of Security Suites. Perhaps one of these might suit your needs.

The Internet can seem a bit like a rough neighborhood, but if you get these basics taken care of, you will have an escort through the 'hood.