Security basics for your home computer
Install and maintain anti-virus software. There are plenty of anti-virus software packages available. Virus software checks for known viruses by scanning your computer it can be automatic or done manually, most also check for viruses on incoming email. It is important to keep your software update, as new viruses are discovered almost daily. At least once a week you should check to see if there is an update available for your anti virus software. I recommend McAfee virus scan. You get Virus protection, e-mail protection, and a firewall, all three are easy to install and setup Download it here
Keep your computer up to date against known vulnerabilities. New viruses are discovered, Daily so it is important to keep the virus files updated. Staying up to date can be difficult. Some vendors, such as Microsoft, have automated utilities that check for updates and notify you. Other vendors may have an email mailing list you can join so they can notify you of any new updates. If your vendor doesn’t offer one of these solutions, you may just need to periodically visit their support web site to check for any new patches or updates.
Email is the number one source for computer viruses, worms and Trojan horses.You should never open an email attachment from someone you do not know. Think twice about opening executable attachments even from people you do know, and set up your email program so that it does not automatically open attachments. By default most computers are set up to hide file extensions. (Click here to learn how to enable extension viewing) If you use a Microsoft operating system on the computer you probably use outlook express, if you do than upgrade to version 6
If you have Cable or DSL, make certain to turn off you computer at night, as quite often email attacks and hijackings occur late at night. Never share an email account with anyone and never share a computer outside the family unless it is absolutely necessary. Quite often security breaches occur while the computer's owner is not there.