Shielding Your Personal Computer Against Security Threats (John Roy Foley)
Jun 25, 2010
A networked personal computer or one connected to the Internet has much higher chances of becoming a target of harmful activities that can damage data. More than just wipe out some of your data, such attacks can fully clean up your hard drive or make your laptop or computer unbootable. You can do something to shield your personal computer from such activities. Installing antivirus firewall software on your computer is the number one step in that direction.
Antivirus firewall software is a two-in-one security suite that provides your laptop or computer both antivirus defense and firewall protection. It is also possible to install two separate software applications: one antivirus program and one firewall program. However, setting up an antivirus firewall software suite is simpler, more inexpensive, and more practical than installing individual stand-alone computer programs.
Your computer's security and defense rely enormously on antivirus and firewall software. Each one operates differently from the other in guarding your computer system. You should not consider that one can substitute for the other in preventing hostile activities. Therefore, guard your personal computer with an antivirus firewall software bundle, or with a stand-alone antivirus program with a firewall program.
To fully understand the value of antivirus firewall software programs, you must learn how the outside world can attack and devastate your laptop or computer. You ought to have at least some fundamental understanding of computer viruses and firewalls.
Computer viruses are just like other software programs developed by humans. Most viruses are only a few kilobytes small, while some can take several megabytes. The actions of computer viruses and human viruses are very analogous. The only time that a virus can devastate is when it goes into the host or target. Once already within its target, the virus begins to create damage by performing the commands that its programmer developed it to perform. All viruses are the same: their fundamental behavior is to destroy and to spread. Some computer viruses don't seem to be very damaging, but the majority are simply dangerous. This can lead to corruption of your data files or in impairing your applications or operating system. Computer viruses are also wise. Such intelligence can be seen in their ability to replicate and to propagate duplicates of itself. Viruses spread copies of itself to other computer systems much more rapidly and much more easily if your computer is connected to a network or to the Internet.
To restrict viruses from maliciously infecting your computer, you can use a reputable antivirus program. An antivirus program should recognize viruses that are already within your laptop or computer or as soon as they penetrate your computer through various means such as downloaded files and email attachments. Your antivirus program will notify you the instant it detects a virus. It will also provide you with suggestions for preventing infection. Many antivirus programs can easily fix, destroy, or isolate a file that is diagnosed to be or to have a virus. If you have antivirus firewall software installed on your computer, you will have relative confidence that your personal computer will be safeguarded from viruses, as well as enjoy firewall protection.
A firewall program, on the other hand, averts hazardous connections from the outside world. It monitors the points (called ports) where such connections are made. Attacks and intrusions can be made through unprotected open ports. A respectable firewall program will close up ports that are unneeded and will "listen" to ports which are unblocked. When suspicious activity is found in a port, the firewall program will let you know and let you choose the direction to go. For maximum protection, your personal computer should have a firewall program running continuously, or you should install an all-in-one antivirus firewall software bundle.
Unless you want unauthorized people to gain access to or ruin your very important computer data, you must employ protective measures to keep your laptop or computer protected. Installing antivirus firewall software is one such safety measure.
About the AuthorJohn Roy Foley is a computer system safety professional who always recommends the usage of antivirus firewall software to keep your notebook computer protected. Get a well-performing antivirus firewall software package or learn a lot more about computer protective measures by checking out Foley's web site..