However, users beware!



So, why is that you say? Well there are a few reasons for this. The first one is very simple. Not all software is created equal. Every virus scanner software is different in nature. Some will catch viruses while others may totally miss certain types of viruses. The reason is because it depends on how well the software was written first of all and how aware the company who made the software is about viruses and other types of things that can harm your computer. You need to understand this if you want to keep your computer protected all the time.

Ok, so how do you get around this? It's simple. Let's say you already have a virus software package on your computer. Ok, that's a great start. But you need to remember the above statement and use another virus solution also. This is where a free virus scanner comes into the picture. There are many free scanners online however you need to once again understand that not all of them are created equal. So you may want to try a few out and see which one works best for you.

Having some kind of protection on your computer is critical to keeping your information safe. Viruses get trickier all the time, and understand that new viruses are being written every day. They are being written stronger all the time. So, if you have any virus protection software you need to keep it updated at least once a week. Doing so will make sure you have the latest virus definitions available to keep your computer safe.

Now with all of this in mind, remember that you goal is to keep your data safe from hackers and viruses. So, below I am going to list out a free and simple way to do this is you are on a budget.

Please keep in mind that this is a free and simple way to help keep you protected and not necessarily the best solution for your computer system. However before I do so, let me give you one last piece of advice. Do you have a cable internet connection? If you do, have you ever sat there and watched your cable modem lights? If you haven't you should at least once.

You computer has many ports that connect to the internet. Some may be open and some may be blocked by default. However, it is these ports where a hacker can access your computer if they are left open. Now sit there for a bit and watch your cable modem. Does the data light blink over and over and you aren't even doing anything to your computer?

Well here is the skinny. That data light blinking over and over again could just be some software you have on your computer trying to connect with a server or it could be a hacker trying to connect with your computer. You see, these hackers can scan thousands of ip addresses at once. What is an ip address? It is the address to your computer. Just like your house has an address, so does your computer. And these hackers can scan for ip addresses in minutes.

If they find one open they can then try and get into the computer system. Make no mistake it does happen everyday. So the problem is if you get a Trojan horse virus on your computer. This is one very effective program that a hacker can see and communicate with to try and break into your computer system. This is reason number one why you need protection. Ok, enough said about that. Now onto what to do if you are on a budget and cannot afford anti virus software.

1. Visit housecall.antivirus.com and download the online scanner. Run it on your computer once a week. Run it twice a week if you use your computer all the time.

2. Download AVG antivirus software. You can search for it on the web under AVG anti virus. The free version is a very nice program for protecting your computer.

Remember to run both of these at least once a week. Again, you are doing this because it goes back to not all software was created equal. The last step is. When you can afford it move up to a paid anti virus solution and keep running the free anti virus online scanner also. This information will help keep your computer system protected, now don't just sit there, go try it out.