These days when a parent says to their kids, “You better use protection.”  There is a good chance they are talking about protecting themselves online. In this day and age we face threats both in the real world and in the online world on a daily basis. Channel surf to any news station after dinner tonight and I guarantee you will be watching some real or media-hyped disaster.  The same holds true in the online world. Remember the Millennium Bug scare touting the “end of the world as we know it” when it turned 2000?   Before that, some of the notable virus scares were the Michelangelo, predicted to create a digital apocalypse on March 6, 1992 with millions of computers having their information wiped out. Later assessments of the damage showed the aftermath to be minimal. Then there was the Melissa worm targeting Microsoft Word and Outlook in 1999.  They starting coming fast and furious after that with names like: Blaster worm, Sobig worm, MyDoom, Zotob worm, Samy virus, and Code Red II.

Of course we responded with the needed software protection. Norton or MacAfee AntiVirus started coming standard with a trial version on just about every new PC sold.  We now understand that protecting our computer systems is standard operating procedures, but I still find many personal computer users without any of these programs.

To add to our anxiety, the Wall Street Journal just reported (July 2007) that a virus was embedded in a banner ad on a website, and automatically switched visitors to another website that downloaded “malware” – malicious software designed to attack a computer. It really is incumbent on us to protect ourselves. While cost isn’t prohibitive, those on a tight budget can’t always afford software programs that run from $60 to a few hundred dollars. We have also become comfortable hiding behind routers and firewalls that now come standard with Windows software.  Threats and annoyances come in many forms these days, so you need a number of programs for full protection.  These take the form of Antivirus, Spyware, Firewall, and Spam protection.

I have good news for my friends and readers on a tight budget. I have come across a number of FREE programs you can use to protect yourselves.  They may not have all the bells and whistles of the paid version but they do the job, just the same.  These are not trial versions that expire in 60 days, but lifetime free software. The goal of the company is to provide a quality product in hopes you will upgrade to a paid version in the future.

Antivirus program: 
AVG has been around since 1991 and sells software protection for personal and large business enterprises.  Their free version lacks technical support, but hey it’s free. It’s easy to install and runs in the background looking for updates when you turn on your computer.  You can run automatic scans of your system or on a manual basis as needed. http://www.free.grisoft.com 

Spyware:
Spyware is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's informed consent. While the term spyware suggests software that secretly monitors the user's behavior, the functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring. Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, but can also interfere with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional software, redirecting web browser activity, or diverting advertising revenue to a third party.

Free programs for disabling spyware are SpyCatcher Express by Tenebril and AVG Anti-Spyware Free Edition.  For the Tenebril software go to their website at www.tenebril.com and click on the Consumer Products tab.  At the bottom is the info on SpyCatcher Express.  The AVG product is downloadable at http://www.free.grisoft.com

Firewalls:
A firewall's basic task is to transfer traffic between computer networks of different trust levels. Typical examples include the Internet which is a zone with no trust and an internal network which is a zone of higher trust (your personal computer). A firewall's function within a network is similar to fire doors in building construction. In former case, it is used to prevent network intrusion to the private network. In latter case, it is intended to contain and delay fire from spreading to adjacent structures.  If somehow a virus gets on your computer it could be programmed to go out to the Internet and download other damaging software to your computer. The firewall when installed and set up properly will alert you that a program on your system is trying to access the Internet. This gives you time to act and find the spurious program and delete it before more damage is done. 

A free firewall program is offered by Comodo at www.comodo.com, then click on Free Products tab.  They also offer other free programs including Antivirus, AntiSpam, and a Anti-Malware program too.

Spam:
Spamming is the abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages. While the most widely recognized form of spam is email, the term is applied to similar abuses in other media too. Because the barrier to entry is so low spammers are numerous.  Free AntiSpam programs can be downloaded from www.comodo.com, and www.email-remover.com. It may take a few minutes to configure these but the effort will be worth it when you eliminate the junk mail from your inbox.

Here’s wishing you happy and safe web surfing.