For Personal Computer

If you own a computer in your home, or more than one, you are probably aware of the need for a good anti virus as well as internet protection. Some products are good for businesses while others are better for personal computer users. What you do with your computer will determine what your needs are as far as anti virus software or security software. With all the different brands available, one out there is perfect for your needs.

Most computer owners that have a computer in their home use it for personal use such as email, internet games, research or general surfing the web. Some people have computers but have no need for or interest in being hooked up to the internet. For these people, their need for anti virus and internet security is minimal if not nonexistent (at least the internet security). An anti virus should always be installed on your computer even if you don't go on the internet. If you use your computer strictly for word processing or offline games, your computer may still be exposed to CDs or floppy disks from other computers, which is how many worms or viruses are carried and transmitted.

If you are like most home computer users, you are on the internet doing one thing or another. With email being such a big means of communication between people, it only makes sense to have an anti virus and some sort of internet security software installed on your computer. There are some very good brands on the market. Some of them are free software for a trial period, some are free downloads and some have to be purchased. An anti virus and internet security review may tell you what is the best for your personal computer based on the activity your computer gets.

There are different kinds of threats to your computer. They come in the form of viruses, worms, spyware and Trojan horses, which are all part of the Malware family. Each of them does something differently, although some of them work together.

• Worms use the network to get from one computer to another so it is important to keep your internet and computer firewall and anti-virus protection up and running at all times.
  
• Spyware is usually in the form of pop ups or can be someone trying to steal information from your computer. You get most spyware from downloading things from the internet—usually it's those "free offers" you accept. To avoid spyware, make sure you have a good anti virus & internet security program.
  
• Trojan horses, which are the worst. They act like viruses traveling through email, websites or the web. They allow other viruses and Malware to enter your system. Sometimes they are hard to remove and can only be removed with a good anti virus program.
  

Some really good brands of anti virus and internet security software are Norton, McAfee, ZoneAlarm, PC-Cillin, Panda and BitDefender. Determining which brand you use will depend on what you use your personal computer for as well as cost. One factor to keep in mind is many of these software can only be used on one computer and if you try to put it on a second computer in your house, it will deactivate and not allow it. The company wants you to purchase more than one or buy more than one license for their product. Some brands will allow you to put their product on more than one computer or will sell more than one license for a cheaper price. Check on this before you purchase any product if you own more than one personal computer.