Computer Security

I spent 3 hours tonight helping out a friend with his Windows desktop computer and his son’s Windows laptop computer. Neither had anti-virus software on their computers. Both dial-up to the Internet to access and the desktop had been infected with an Internet WORM. Neither computer had any Spyware protection on them nor did they have a firewall (although one was XP SP2 it wasn't turned on). Both used Internet Explorer for their Internet Browser and both had Outlook Express installed on them. To me, they were both nothing but problems waiting to happen. I can't tell you how many PC's I've looked at lately that have minimal, if any, protection on them. Some don't want to spend the money for a virus/firewall software program, but in the long run it takes HOURS to fix a problem that could be prevented for a small price. Over the course of the last week I've looked up and found solutions to all of the (potential) problem areas I've listed above that are free (at the time of this writing). For goodness sake, if you’re connected to the Internet, even if just for e-mail on a dial-up computer, YOU NEED THESE PROGRAMS OR OTHERS LIKE THEM TO PROTECT YOU! * Firewall Zone Alarm firewall software (free) * SpyBot spyware scanner (free) * Avast! 4 Anti-virus software (free) * Mozilla Firefox Internet Browser (free) * Mozilla Thunderbird E-mail client (free) I would additionally suggest, if you haven't already, install Windows XP Service Pack 2 to get your computer up-to-date. If you can, remove Outlook Express (Control Panel --> Add/Remove Programs --> Add/Remove Windows Components --> Outlook Express). I would also recommend un-installing Internet Explorer, but I know that's not totally realistic as some web sites require Internet Explorer as well as some programs, but I would encourage you to use FireFox as your default browser if at all possible! Lastly, turn on your Windows Automatic Updates, if nothing else to notify you before it downloads the updates. Most of the programs I listed above, with the exception of Spybot, will auto-update themselves when you’re connected to the Internet. A wise man once wrote, not once but TWICE, "Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself, but the inexperienced have passed along and must suffer the penalty." - Proverbs 22:3; 27:12 Which will you be, shrewd or inexperienced? (Of course for you Mac users out there, none of this is really a risk for you so your pretty safe without any additional utilities. Sometimes being just 5% is good)