It’s a well known fact that computer security is an important issue. When a system connects to the Internet it is exposed to thousands of malicious Malware, viruses, spyware, hackers, and other nasty infections and other risks that can ruin a system, cost you money for repairs and lose data that is stored on the computer.

Beyond the obvious, there are some really hands-on things that you can do to protect yourself from Malware and virus attacks and always ensure the utmost security for your computer system.

1. Proper Virus Protection – Always have the best anti virus software installed and running on your system. Our best pick of a virus and spyware software combo is PC Tools.

2. Real Time Virus Protection – Make sure that real time protection is part of the virus software you use to avoid being infected by drive-by infections that can happen just by visiting a website. Learn more about Real Time Virus Protection.

3. Secure Browser – If you are using Internet Explorer as your web browser, think again. It is full of security risks and Firefox is a much better choice.

4. Firefox Security Selections – If you are using Firefox make sure to set up Security Options properly.

1. Go to Tools then Options
2. Then select the Security Tab
3. Click on the following options in that window to select them:

• Warn Me When Sites Try to Install Add Ons
• Tell Me if the Site I am Visiting is a Suspected Attack Site
• Tell Me if the Site I am Visiting is a Suspected Forgery
• Also make sure to select a master password, so when you have Firefox saving your passwords for you they will be more secure.

5. Firewall – You can use the firewall that comes with Windows operating systems, or you can download a free firewall for extra protection that can also be customized. Firewalls prevent hacking attacks on your system, learn more at this post: 3 Free Best Computer Firewalls.

6. Admin Protection – In Windows you can create different users, such as guests. This is helpful to avoid being logged in as administrator, which makes vital areas of your computer more accessible. If you create yourself a a guest account and work and surf the net from that user profile, your system will be more secure.

7. Beware of Shareware – Shareware is usually some free software or program that can be downloaded for free use. These can be risky because often times they can carry viruses and other malware, like spyware. Be sure to know what you are downloading and where its from.

8. Stay Away from P2P Sites – One of the easiest ways to get nasty viruses, and especially Trojans is person 2 person (P2P) file sharing sites.

These sites are free-for-all downloads usually used for free music file downloads. Some main ones include, Limewire, Bearshare and Morpheus.

You create a free account on these sites, download the software (which is often full of Spyware/Adware) and you get access to millions of other peoples computer files through what is called the Gnutella Network. You search for particular files, like MP3 music  and then download them from other people’s computers.

First, this is a sure fire way to get the Feds to knock on your door, due to copyright infringment, since downloading free mp3 music is illegal. Second, you are basically exposing your system to thousands of other computers and whatever viruses and malware they may have. Very risky!

9. Never Open Unknown Email Attachments – Viruses are often sent through email in the form of attachments. You should never open files that come from sources that you don’t trust or know. Yahoo and MSN Hot Mail are usually pretty good at scanning for viruses in email but they do miss stuff, so the best thing to do if you get an email with an attachment from someone you don’t know, hit DELETE!!

10. Phishing Emails – This computer security threat is more geared toward identity theft and stealing your personal information and money.

Thousands of emails are sent on a daily basis with subject lines such as: Your Bank Account May Have Been Accessed without Authorization, or the IRS Needs Your Information to Send you a Stimulus Check.

The email will then include a link to the site which will ask you to enter your personal login info, social security numbers, account numbers and other personal info. The link will take you to a phishing site, and not the real site, thought the design will be a duplicate. Many people fall for this and get robbed or have their identity stolen. NEVER follow the link, if you are unsure if the email is real, then type in the web address of the site in question manually and then go to your account, or call the institution.

Banks rarely send such alerts, they will contact you by phone, and the IRS never asks for personal information via email, neither does Paypal, which these thieves often use to scam people.

11. Always Back Up Your Files – Finally, you always want to have a back up of all the data, files and folders on your system. You can do back ups in several ways, you can burn them onto CD or tape drives but a great solution that eliminates the hassle of that is to use an online data backup service. They are very cheap, and the best one is Mozy Online Backup, where you can get 5GB free of backup storage and unlimited backup for under $5 a month!