Free computer security software

Within the past two years Consumer Reports National Research Center says one in five people were victimized by cybercrimes. Their computers were infected by spyware or viruses, they were caught by phishing scams, or they had their identity stolen.

Like more than a million others in the last year, he had his identity stolen while shopping on line. 
“They started out small in 15, 25 dollar increments, and they slowly increased. I tallied it up to somewhere close to $25,000.”
Consumer Reports’ Dean Gallea cautions only shop at sites you trust. And it’s essential to protect your computer from spyware, viruses, and spam by installing security software.
Consumer Reports tested security suites costing between 50 and 90 dollars. But Dean found free security software that’s on par with the best. To fight viruses: AntiVir from Free-dash-A-V-dot-com. To prevent spyware: Windows Defender from Microsoft.com. And to stop spam: Spamfighter Standard from Spamfighter.com.
You also want to protect against phishing. These emails look like they come from banks and other companies, but are actually lures to gain access to your accounts.
Dean Gallea, of Consumer Reports, says “Never click on links in e-mails that go to banks or other sites that have your personal information.”
Instead, type the company’s Web address into your browser.  For more your computer security, download free anti-phishing software, such as the McAfee Site Advisor, this warns when you go to a dangerous site.

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