It’s the dreaded flicker of a screen, the sudden fade to black – your computer is stalled, its applications useless, its programs gone. You try the typical solutions; you punch all the necessary commands; but those do not work and you feel yourself begin to panic. That panic grows when you finally turn the system off completely, only to be horrified when it won’t flash back on. Your machine – the most precious of your possessions, the great connector between your home and the online world – is dead. You can’t revive it. You can’t even force a glimmer. There is nothing left but a blank monitor and the realization that you are without hope.

This is an all too tragic (but also all too common) scenario, forced by an equally tragic (and equally common) mistake: free software.

While none can deny the appeal of programs that require no payment or purchase, none can also deny the necessity of trust that must be placed within them. These are not company products, manufactured to appeal to the masses; meant to be secure and without complication. These are instead applications that have been changed again and again, sent out onto the virtual playground for any to select. And this can be dangerous.
Source codes can be easy to manipulate – and easier to still to infect with viruses. Malware, spy-ware and more can be placed within any free program; and you would not know this until it was far too late.

This is why precautions must therefore be taken. Before choosing any free software, be certain of its reputation. Read reviews and forum posts to determine if it is credible. You must also look for information on its creator, making sure that the identity has not been marked as dangerous. And, even if your search reveals nothing, be sure still that all important information is placed on back-up files. This will lessen the burden later.

Free software is important. It must simply be approached with care.

For optimum computer security there are a few steps you should take besides installing a good antivirus software. First, buy a computer with a good firewall or purchase firewall software that will protect your computer. While many computers come with a firewall already installed, most are not activated. Be sure that your firewall is properly activated before using your computer.

Second, be very wary of who you give your information to. There are scams called phishing scams in which a criminal will pose as a company such as a bank and ask for personal information like your social security number, account numbers and PIN’s. Most authentic banks will not send you emails asking for this information.

Third, don’t open unsolicited emails or attachments. They may contain viruses. Also, watch your Internet surfing activity. Many unscrupulous sites will attach spyware or viruses to your computer as you tour their site. Online gamers must be especially vigilant and should purchase special antivirus software made exclusively for online gamers.

Your antivirus software should come with a daily update system. You should run this update regularly as new viruses and bugs come online every day. Your antivirus software will update itself with the proper antidotes to those bugs. Don’t become another identity theft statistic by protecting yourself with antivirus software today.