Surfing the net can be very dangerous at times. Many of the social media networks are also dangerous. This does not mean you have to stop browsing the net, it means you need to protect yourself from unwanted internet intrusions. Before I go on, I want to share a little story about some person I helped off the internet. From time to time, I visit Yahoo Answers to help random people remove viruses and such from their computer, used to be a hobby of mine. At the end of my removal guides, I leave an email address so the person I am helping can shoot me an email for further assistance. To make a long story short, the person was hit with a fake antivirus program. Fake antivirus programs try to fool you into thinking you have a ton of viruses so you will buy the virus. The person did just that, he bought the virus. He entered in all his personal information and even entered his credit card information. He was getting charged $59.99 every half an hour. Luckily, his bank called him and got things straightened out. This is just one reason why it is imperative to protect yourself. Here are a few things you can do to help safeguard your computer.

1. Firewall

A firewall is a wall between your computer and the internet. It will block unauthorized access to your computer while surfing the net. It can stop incoming or outgoing traffic with a little bit of tinkering around. Keep in mind that nothing is 100%, but it is part of a layered security system.

2. Antivirus

An antivirus is program that is used to prevent, detect, and remove any malicious software (malware) from your computer. Malware includes viruses, worms, Trojans, ad ware, and spyware.

3. Anti spyware

Antispyware is a program that protects you against spyware. This is very similar to an antivirus but can detect and remove things that the antivirus cannot.

You can have all the protection in the world and you still would not be a 100% safe, nothing is. However, having a layered defense with a firewall, antivirus, and antispyware will definitely give you a fighting chance. Just remember to stay away from bad Web sites and do not click on anything that looks suspicious. If you are on a computer with multiple users, it would be in your best interest to do a full antivirus and antispyware scan every week to be sure you are malware free. It would be a shame to end up in the same pickle as the person from Yahoo Answers.