Virus are a part of everyday life for Windows users, along with malware and a host of other vulnerbilities. Unluckily Anti-Virus software is quite expensive for what it really does. The odds are that an out of the box brand new Windows install will be compromised within minutes of connecting to the Internet.

The first step in securing Windows is to make sure you’ve got the latest and greatest updates. If you’re running Windows 95 or 98 at least upgrade to Windows XP!

Visit the Windows Update Web Site and install every single update there. Even the non-critical ones. You want to minimize the chances of exploits as much as possible.

The second step and one of the most often over looked is to get rid of Spyware and Adware. I’m a big fan of two programs Spy-Bot Search and Destroy and Adaware from Lavasoft. There are other programs that do the same thing. Keep in mind that Spyware can be hidden in little applications that are downloaded from the Internet. The Purple Gorilla, Banzai Buddy along with Gator were two of the worse. Especially since everyone installed them on purpose.

The third step is to get anti-virus tool. “Free” Online Anti Virus tools are great but not the end all. They’re there to sell you the more expesnive product, in fact there is evidence that some virus were created on purpose by Anti-Virus companies. But like my advice above try several different ones. Each may find different problems.

Some online Anti-Virus scanners:

The Fourth Step is to practice safe Internetting.

Even with all of these suggestions it’s impossible to be 100% Virus, Adware, Spyware, and Malware free. But using all these suggestions in conjunction with each other will go a long ways towards making you safer.

Related posts:

1. How To: Check your computer’s IP address