• Spy programs that want to know how you shop.  One recent computer repair done at Northside Christian School, on one computer, found 836 spyware programs.  The spyware programs (all of them) check your computer for information as you use it and significantly slow down your machine.

• Hackers are malicious people that take joy in interfering with other peoples machines and disrupt the programs and files of their computers.  They are challenged by the hunt.  If they can get into your computer or hijack your web pages, you are not well protected enough to stop them.  Your privacy is at stake as they can get your passwords, bank card numbers, pin numbers, etc.  Ultimately, they can steal your identity.

• Viruses are waiting for you to logon to the internet, they also come on infected floppy disks and downloaded Internet programs.  Some viruses come in as hoaxes but there are real threats that make you have to reinstall all your programs and files if not caught by your virus control program.  This is not uncommon.  At Northside Christian School, 30,000 plus viruses were caught in a period of 3 months. Not a joke.

•  Outdated programs that Software companies try to get us to update because of security problems, but we ignored them.

• New hardware that is incompatible with your computer.  Some software is not compatible with other software in your machine.  You must be aware of conflicts.

2.  These are the solutions of good computer experience:

• Ad-aware'se is a free spy ware removing tool that you can download from the Internet.  Download the free program from www.lavasoft.de/ and run this once a week to remove the spy programs that come into your computer.  Click on the image below to download Ad-aware.  Windows XP Pro is already equipped to handle spy ware and popups.  If Windows XP is your operating system you won't need third party software like this.  You just need to learn how to use it.

• Hackers are always upgrading their threats.  Software developers have created secure programs for us to use in our homes and businesses.  Hackers then, take the challenge to crack the code and introduce new vulnerabilities in the developers programs.  Then the developers must deploy upgrades to their programs for computers that already are using those programs.  So, often UPDATES are uploaded to your computer for you to use for your safety.  Click on the address below to go to the windows update page. 

• Routers can help us segregate our computer from the Internet to give us a security from hackers and viruses.  A router hides your computer from the Internet.  Without a router, all your ports are open to the Internet, but, with one, your ports are all closed; no one can come in, but you can go out and come back in for your own purposes.  You can purchase an inexpensive router from just about anywhere computers are sold.  It is very important especially when you are using a wireless network in your home.  Wireless routers or access points have to be encrypted to be safe from others using your Internet and changing your settings. 

http://www.compusa.com Buy a router to protect your network from others invations.

• Anti-virus programs are absolutely necessary.  These programs have to be continually updated to work for you.  First of all, Antivirus programs expire.  You must buy your update each time it expires.  When you let your program expire, and not renew it timely, you won't be able to update the virus definitions which come to the Internet daily and you will get infected with a virus.  Norton updates all their virus definitions on Wednesday of each week.  Therefore, you must update on, or after, Thursday of each week to keep current.  If you don't, you are open for viruses that are out there looking for your vulnerabilities.