From the minute you press the power button, think, "Safety first!" The right security software is a life-or-death matter for your computer, since the proper combination of spyware, viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and hackers can quickly send your PC to an early grave. These six security programs ensure your computer won't end up a very expensive doorstop by this time next year.
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Ad-Aware What is there to say about Ad-Aware we haven't said before? We've been known to give this venerable antispyware utility a fair amount of print, and the attention is well-justified. Simply put, Ad-Aware is extremely effective at finding and removing the Web's most notorious spyware components, as well as the newest and deadliest threats. Bells and whistles are not this program's thing, but Ad-Aware keeps the focus where it belongs: on rock-solid protection.  Free |
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AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition You may think you'll have to fork over a few twenties to get competent virus protection, but that's not necessarily the case. True to its name, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition keeps your computer safe from the Internet's latest hazards at no cost. Of course, the program lets you manually update its definitions at your leisure, but we recommend enabling the scheduling feature, which will check for updates every day at the time of your choice. Eventually, you might want to pay to upgrade to the Professional version, or you may decide to buy another antivirus suite altogether. Regardless, you should make downloading AVG Free a top priority as soon as your computer is connected to the Internet. Free |
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HijackThis Anyone who's been in the ring with spyware knows some opponents just refuse to go down. If your arsenal of spyware-removal tools has failed to eighty-six a particularly devious intruder, this program could be one of your last hopes before reformatting. But unless you're a serious computer surgeon, you'll probably need to consult a Web-based forum to make sense of the program's scan results. (For more information, read our HijackThis tutorial.) Though you won't use it every day, sooner or later you'll be glad you have HijackThis. Free |
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Spybot - Search & Destroy Like Ad-Aware, Spybot - Search & Destroy has played a prominent role in the history of the Great Spyware War. Also like Ad-Aware, it's completely free. Spybot, however, boasts a number of convenient extras, such as a full-fledged scheduler and a file shredder. It's also no slouch when it comes to sniffing out malicious software. We should note that when it comes to antispyware utilities, you can never have too many, so you may want to load up on a few more freebies, including Microsoft AntiSpyware and Spyware Doctor. Free |
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Webroot Spy Sweeper The bad news is that Spy Sweeper isn't free. The good news is that it's worth every penny of the $30 registration fee. Spy Sweeper's real-time protection shield is one of its major advantages, alerting you when unwelcome guests attempt to clandestinely infiltrate your machine. The program's scanner is fast, and results are nearly flawless, thanks to Webroot's top-notch research-and-development team. Even though we recommend you keep multiple antispyware solutions close at hand, Spy Sweeper is powerful enough to act as a standalone solution. $29.95 |
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ZoneAlarm A firewall should be one of the very first programs you put on your machine. If you don't already know, a firewall is absolutely essential in preventing hackers and other cyberthreats from accessing your PC. Unfortunately, many of them can be tough to configure, baffling even seasoned geeks. Not so for ZoneAlarm, one of the most trusted firewall utilities on the scene. The program walks you through the set-up process, offers several levels of security, and doesn't overload you with a bunch of highly technical jargon. Just set it and forget it, and you'll sleep well at night. Free |
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