"The Net" is a great tool, but with it comes a plethora of nogoodniks, l33t script kiddies, and other evildoers wishing to wreak havok, and poke around all the personal tidbits on your computer. Let's face it, the web is infested with a plague of NetKooks, and more find their way online every day. If you own a computer, you need virus protection. It's that simple. But, just having virus detection software isn't enough. New viruses are discovered every day. Not only do you need virus protection, you need a program that can be updated on a regular basis (at least every two weeks). Installing dedicated Trojan Horse detection is also an excellent idea. A virus and a Trojan Horse are two completely different things. By definition, a virus will replicate on its own, while a Trojan does not. However, this does not make Trojans any less malicious. In fact many Trojans are just as or even more malicious than most viruses, compromising every aspect of your system's integrity. While a good virus detection system will detect some Trojans, nothing can detect them as well as a dedicated Trojan detector. Makes sence, huh? With new threats arriving in every way, shape and form, virus protection is a must have, not just to keep your computer running smoothly, but to make sure you're not unwittingly compromising someone else's system.
Norton AntiVirus 2000 Excellent virus detection/protection with regular definition updatesMcAfee VirusScan The #2 contender, although, it does seem to conflict with a lot of other software
F-Prot A free virus scanning utility. Don't know it, never used it, but I have heard good things
The Cleaner The best Trojan Horse Detection System out there
Everyone connected to the net, whether it be dial-up, cable, or DSL (the latter two especially) should have some form of firewall or IDS (Intrusion Detection System). News of DOS (Denial of Service) attacks to big name companies such as Yahoo, CNN, & Ebay finally opened the eyes of the average netizen to the potential security risks of an internet connection, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Trojans, backdoors, worms, virii, you name it. With the right tools, (readily available, I might add) a semi-knowledgable person can access every file, invoke every command, phish all your passwords & leave you a "have a nice day" smiley in the time it takes to eat a McDonald's hamburger. It's quite possible that someone 5,000 miles away is accessing your personal files as you're reading this. That's where a personal firewall comes in. Simply put, a firewall blocks all communication (incoming & outgoing) with your computer, unless you say it's ok. There is a slight learning curve dealing with firewall rulesets and soforth & it can be challenging to correctly set it up, especially for a newbie, but, in the longrun, your computer will thank you.
Norton Internet Security 2000 The software firewall package formerly known as AtGuard.Signal 9 Communications Conseal Firewall & Conseal Private Desktop (soon to be part of the McAfee catalog) ZoneAlarm A free firewall, some people like it, some don't... Its excellent at any price
BlackICE Defender An excellent (and easy to use) Intrusion Detection Software.
Once you install a personal firewall or IDS, you will be amazed at how often script kiddies try to access unsuspecting victims' computers. One popular technique is a backdoor portscan. Basically, the user has the client side of a trojan/backdoor such as Back Orifice or Sub7 on his computer, and is looking for a host infected with the server side trojan via an IP portscan. Think of your IP as your home address, and ports as all of the possible entrances such as windows & doors. The average computer connected to the net is portscanned at least once every 6 hours. Considering that there are exactly 65,535 possible entrances (ports) to your computer, and trojan horse programs are more rampant than ever, a firewall is as important to the home user as a good virus detection program. Although the risks of intrusion are high, to say the least, there is a wealth of information on the web covering everything from portscans to file and print sharing to how you can make your computer virtually invisible. I have found several excellent sites to help get you on your way, but be forewarned, it's not something you can do during "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" commercials. =)
Gibson Research & Shields Up An excellent site, this should be your first stop after installing a firewallDOSHelp Wow! Tons of info, downloadable rulesets, & intrusion reporting
HackerWhacker The best portscan report you can get... Too bad it costs $10
SecureLab Very good site, lots of info, current headlines & past events
AntiOnline Yet another site, mucho info & headlines updated daily
Virtual Suicide It takes intestinal fortitude to visit this place, unless, of course, you have nothing to lose