Finding Free Computer Security Software on the Web

Surfing the web with a conputer means exposing it daily to the risk of infection. There are hackers working constantly to break into any vulnerable system. But you don't have to buy expensive firewall and antiviral programs to protect yourself. There are many tried and true, free software programs out there that will get the job done just as well.

The first thing you need to do before downloading any software is to check it out. Find out what others think of it and if it is safe and dependable. There are many computer forums on the web, where people discuss their software and offer advice on good safe programs. One of the best that I have found is: forums.pcworld.com, where you can get all kinds of computer information. While you don't have to be a subscriber to use the site, the magazine is a great source of information and the website offers safe software downloads. You will find reviews by the magazine as well as readers on all types of programs to base your decisions on. Wikipedia is another good site to find basic information. Just look up antivirus software and you'll find a listing of most of the current programs that you can check out.

One of the best free firewalls out there that I have used for years is Zone Alarm by Checkpoint. Firewalls let you have control over who can dial into your computer and what programs can dial out. Many of your computer programs will try to download ads and updates everytime they run. You can use Zone Alarm to deny them access to internet or make them ask before connecting. Zone alarm updates itself in the background regularly and doesn't send you a never ending avalanche of subscription ads. Comodo firewall pro is another highly rated choice that I have not tried yet.

An antivirus program has to update constantly to stay ahead of the latest threat. The free app. AVG by Grisoft has been one of the highest rated antivirus programs for years. It doesn't bog down my computer and it is one of the few apps that I give the right to update whenever it wants to. Its website also has great free forum for discussions on any problems you might run into. Windows itself offers some good security programs like Windows Defender and ClamWin that are worth checking out. Some other free security apps you might find useful are anti-spyware and malware programs. The list of these is endless and two that I have used are: SUPER-antispyware and Spyware Doctor. There are also ultility programs that will help to clean your computer for free such as Glary Utilities and CCleaner. Both of these are highly rated by users and myself.

There are some things you should consider before downloading any program. Is it compatible with your system, how much space does it require and how much free space do you have, is it a trial offer and thus only good for a limited time, is it easy to uninstall if you do have problems, and will it conflict with any of your other programs? Please remember that many of these free apps are run through donations from us the users. So please give back to them as they have given peace of mind to you.

It is best not to run two of the same type of security app on the same computer. They may conflict with each other. So you only need one firewall and one antivirus. Be sure you read through small print to find out if anything else such as toolbars and search engines will be loaded with the free program. You may want to disable these. Be sure you are downloading from a safe site and never download from any email link. Set a system restore point before doing any downloading so you can restore your computer if there are problems.

Here are some links you might find useful:

http://www.pcworld.com

http://www.wikipedia.com

http://www.zonealarm.com

http://www.grisoft.com

http://www.superantispyware.com