• Windows update is VERY crucial to do especially if you are running Window 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium, Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 & Windows XP.
• Basically Microsoft figures out and fixes it 'holes', issues & bugs in ALL of its operating systems.
• Once you click on the link - click Yes (if you are prompted) then 'Scan for updates'
• On the left side panel, it will display a number of updates per each section.  I recommend getting all of the updates, but ESPECIALLY the critical updates and service packs
• Click on the updates and they usually will tell you what they are and what they are claiming to fix.  Click the ADD button for each update available.
• Next is to click Review and install updates.  Downloading the updates may take time depending on your internet connection.
• Follow the directions and you may have to restart your computer afterwards.
• After you have restarted you computer (if prompted), go back and check to make sure you have all of the updates.
• UPDATES CHANGE DAILY!  I mean this...they change very often, check back often

www.Symantec.com
also
www.McAfee.com
and a free Virus scanner
http://free.grisoft.com

• I love Symantec software.  They are the makers of Norton Antivirus and Norton Systemworks.  Watch the Sunday paper cause you can get Norton Systemworks 2003 for pretty cheap.  Systemworks includes Virus removal and also utilities that fix your computer and maintain it.
• Once you get a virus removal software...MAKE SURE YOU CHECK FOR UPDATES ONCE A WEEK.  What I always tell people, if you don't update it, turn it off cause its worthless without knowing the newest viruses that are out there.

Hardware
www.d-link.com
www.linksys.com
www.netgear.com

Software
www.ZoneAlarm.com

• What a firewall does is meter the traffic that goes to your computer and leaves your computer.  It sniffs through the data being sent and received while picking apart whether should be blocked or let continue.  This data can be music, websites, viruses, and even find open areas where hackers can logon to your computer and control it - doing whatever they want.
• Right now they have two kinds of firewalls - a hardware one better known as a router or a piece of software you can get.
• Routers are more than just a firewall; they 'share' a single internet connection like DSL or Cable so that other computers in your house or apartment can all be online at the same time.
• Having a firewall running will make your computer seem invisible to hackers. Usually your computer is wide open and anyone can see it and literally log onto it.  If hackers can't tell your computer isn't there chances are they won't mess with you and find someone else.
• I have included a free software firewall called ZoneAlarm.
• A good way to test your firewall or to see if you need a firewall by clicking here
  Click Proceed and then Common Ports & All Service Ports

• Here are three very helpful utilities in removing Spyware.  What is spyware? It's garbage that gets put onto your computer by websites.  Usually it causes your computer to crash, slowing it down, gives you pop-up ads and anything else that's just plain annoying,
• What Lavasoft Ad-aware 6.0 does is search your computer for spyware, the program knows what's "bad" and once it has finished it will delete everything bad if you want it too.
• Also make sure you run the update EACH time you run these detection programs. I'd say run them once a week if you do a lot of surfing or emailing.
• The second link - it's basically the same as above but this one may find spyware that Ad-Aware doesn't find and vice versa.  Also it claims to prevent future spyware on there.
• The third one is free and put out by Microsoft. This one is simple to use and can watch your computer in real-time...meaning it can act like virus software. This one I run the most cause its easy to use and does a great job.
• I would recommend having and using all three once every two weeks or sooner.

• Zero Popup Killer is a great pop-up blocker in my opinion.  I'm sure you know what pop-ups are by now, they're any website that just randomly pops-ups without you knowing.  Most likely it's advertising but not always. Actually I just started using this program a few days ago and I like it.  It does a lot of other things than just block pop-ups.
• Also, a lot of newer browsers have Pop-up Blockers installed already. Internet Explorer 6.0 with Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Mozilla FireFox has it already.

• I can't stress this enough... Internet Explorer is horrible at blocking spyware and adware so use FireFox as an alternative web browser when you are on ANY uncertain site that could put stuff on your computer after visiting there website.

www.GFI.com

• GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner is a great program that scans your computer for open ports, missing service packs, missing patches, holes and other ways hackers can intrude into your system.