Security software: Safety online Security solutions

Anti-virus software

As with all illnesses, prevention is the best cure, and that's where anti-virus software comes in.

It works by scanning your system for viruses, either all the time or on-demand, searching for viruses, or programs that look like them. If it finds a virus it will usually remove it and repair the damage, or offer to delete the offending file.

But anti-virus software is best at recognising viruses it knows about and, with new ones appearing all the time, it can soon become out of date. That's why it's important to regularly visit your software manufacturers' website to download updates.

In addition to keeping your anti-virus software up to date, you should regularly visit the websites of the manufacturers of other software that you use, so you can download 'security patches', which fix the weaknesses in software that viruses exploit.

Microsoft provides information about protecting your computer from the latest viruses at http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.aspx.

Some ISPs offer protection against email viruses, either for free or at an extra cost. One of these is AVG Anti-Virus.

Hacking

Viruses aren't the only threat to security you need to worry about. News reports of teenage hackers bringing down the IT systems of big corporations may make you think your home computer is an unlikely target. But everyone with an internet connection is vulnerable to hacking.

The most common form of hacking is via 'trojan horses' – programs that let hackers hijack your computer or log your passwords. This means someone could crash your computer, or even learn how to access your online bank account.

Firewalls

To protect against hacking, you need a second type of software, called a firewall. Firewall software acts as a protective layer between your computer and other internet users, preventing hackers from finding a way into your system.

As an added precaution, you can protect yourself by not storing passwords or login details on your computer, and not using a single password for everything.

Keeping spam at bay

While they might not all harm your computer, unsolicited emails or 'spam', are a pain. They bung up your inbox with unwanted and often undesirable material.

Some ISPs provide spam filtering, sometimes at no charge. You can buy spam-blocking software, too, which works by applying rules to check the legitimacy of incoming mail.

There are a number of things you can do yourself to limit the amount of spam you receive. One being never replying to spam emails asking to 'unsubscribe', because often this will just tell the spammers your email address is in use and worth selling on. Another way to stop spam is to set up rules in your inbox to send emails from known addresses into a separate folder, so that these are automatically separated from unknown senders and you can filter off the junk.

Need help understanding computer security jargon? See our free guide to understanding PC security terms.

For more on online security, see our book Internet Made Easy for the Over 50s.