Protect your computer

If your computer isn't secure, losing your data could be the least of your worries. There are a number of steps you can take to increase the security of your computer or laptop. Keeping software up to date can protect it from online attacks.

• Firewall - control the information that comes into (and leaves) your PC.
• Anti-virus - put your computer on guard against attacks, and cure any infections.
• Anti-spyware - stop unauthorised software snooping on details such as your passwords.

A firewall is a piece of software which helps protect your computer from online attacks. Any computer you use to access the internet should have a firewall installed.

It's recommended that your firewall is set to monitor incoming and outgoing internet traffic. This means that you have control over the information that enters and leaves your system.

Which firewall?

Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X operating systems have built-in firewalls. Look up your help menus for instructions on checking or setting up your firewall.

Alternatively, you can buy a firewall from a computer retailer.

A computer virus is much more than just an inconvenience.

Beware of Trojans, viruses and spyware

Your computer may be infected by a 'Trojan', a virus or spyware if it starts to behave in an unpredictable manner. Consider the following warning signs:

• Your system may take longer than normal to start, or have a slower response time when opening files
• Files may become corrupted, might not load or you might experience a system crash
• Your anti-virus software may generate a warning message, or other unusual messages may appear on screen

Bear in mind that your computer could still be infected even if nothing appears to be different.

Install and maintain anti-virus software

Good anti-virus software protects your computer. It's designed to detect and remove any computer viruses, Trojans and spyware that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge or permission. These invaders can infect your computer and affect your online security.

Your anti-virus software should be regularly updated to keep the latest known threats at bay.

Spyware is malicious software that monitors the activity on your computer - such as password details or the websites you have visited.

Spyware can use this ill-gotten information in lots of different ways, and could hijack your internet browser to show unwanted advertising or generally change your computer settings. It's designed with one purpose in mind - financial gain for the people who put it there.

Many anti-virus packages now come with built-in protection against spyware.

Windows Vista comes with integrated protection against spyware. If you use Windows XP, you can add this by downloading Windows Defender from the Microsoft website.