There are 3 items I use on ALL pc's under my care to keep them safe and all are
free to download and use. I highly recommend these and only these.
- Anti Virus - AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0
Award winning protection to meet your basic security needs
It’s always been our philosophy at AVG that everyone has the right to basic computer security at no charge. And our 80 million users think we’re doing a pretty good job. So if you’re planning to spend time online and you regularly exchange files with friends, check us out."
http://free.avg.com/ww-en/download-a...s-free-edition
Spyware - Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven't intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been "hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don't see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm giving it a try to see if something has invaded your computer. http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html
Malware - Lavasoft Ad-Aware - 10 years of malware experience combined in one dynamic application. Ad-Aware offers radically improved performance and efficiency, along with comprehensive malware protection. With real-time monitoring, threat alerts, and automatic updates you can rest easy knowing that you are protected. Site: http://www.lavasoft.com/ Download: http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Fr...bj=dl&tag=top5