If you want to make sure that you're protected from viruses, you should get some antivirus software. This software can offer peace of mind, even for experienced computer users who would be unlikely to open a simple virus.

Antivirus software works in two ways. Firstly, it has a big 'dictionary' of viruses, allowing it to scan files and flag any that are known to be viral. Secondly, the software monitors the system for any suspicious activity. One method involves creating decoy files that are hidden from the user and monitoring them to see if they are altered - if they are, then it was almost certainly a virus.

The two giants of the antivirus industry are McAfee and Norton. They are both commercial software based on yearly subscriptions, and at this point there's little to choose between them - some people swear by one, but just as many will swear by the other. However, both are quite expensive, especially if you buy them as part of the complete security suite.

If you want a free antivirus program, the best around is widely considered to be AVG (the Free Edition). It's a small but effective antivirus application, popular firstly for being free and secondly for using hardly any system resources to run. AVG is capable of running very fast, even on older computers.

For people who don't actually want to download and install antivirus software, but just want to quickly make sure that they don't have a virus, TrendMicro's HouseCall website is a good solution (you can find it at housecall.trendmicro.com). When you go to the website and click 'Scan Now', it will scan your computer for viruses right then and there, without you needing to install anything - and best of all, it's free. While it is a very good service, however, you shouldn't rely on it completely, as it is a bad idea to use a computer with no installed antivirus protection.

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Without adequate protection, your PC will get infected. Studies have shown that an unprotected PC is attacked within minutes of being connected to the Internet. Year after year, hackers develop and set free a plethora of viruses, trojans, worms, and other forms of malware. The average computer users hasn't a clue how easy it is to get infected and what's needed to avoid it. Worse yet, will the advent of spyware, you won't even know you are infected.

The term Malware was created as a catch-all name for all forms of malicious software. Viruses and spyware are by far the most common. The more skilled hackers used to write viruses just for the fame. Now they do it for money. The best of the best have even written programs that allow far less technical people to create their own viruses. We call them script kiddies, and there are many. While script kiddies still mostly mess around. Identity theft has become big business and spyware is the best way to steal it.

Just imagine coming home to find your computer dead in the water or all your files erased. Hopefully you'd at least have a back up of all your data. Most people don't. A typical virus is designed to wipe out your master boot record. Without this, your computer is a paper weight. If this happens, your only recourse is to reformat your hard drive and start fresh. Ouch! Just imagine what it would feel like to have lost all your documents, spreadsheets, music, and pictures! The best Antivirus programs are designed to stop viruses before they ever reach your hard drive and keep your computer safe.Â

Researchers have determined that more than 80% of home computers have spyware installed on them and the users don't even know it. Sypware, or sometimes called adware, is a small piece of software that embeds itself in your Internet browser. As you surf the internet, signing into email, social networks or bank accounts, the spyware program reports back to home base with all your personal information. Before long, your resources are drained, your computer slows down, and some stranger knows everything about you.Â

Another type of spyware is called a Rootkit. In this case, a hacker takes control of your computer, without you knowing, and infects others by useing your hard drive and IP address. Without the help of top antivirus software, this type spyware is virtually impossible to detect.

while not costly in dollars, computers are extremely valuable for what they hold. Pictures, music, banking information, and most precious of all - memories. When you leave your house, you lock your door. When you use your computer, you must ensure the same. The battle between malware producers and antivirus software producers continues to intensify, and it escalates daily. Remaining unprotected is a sure-fire way to become collateral damage in this war. The cost to prevent and protect yourself is much lower than the cost of replacing your computer and restoring your identity.

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