The Dangers Of The Trojan Virus

Everyone who has ever surfed the internet or used a computer should be concerned about the safety and security of not only their own computer but the data that flows through it. With so much personal data floating through cyberspace every day, it is vital for every computer owner to take steps to protect their personal information from the Trojan viruses, adware and spyware that roam the internet.

The growth of the threat
The sophistication level of the average Trojan virus has grown quite a bit just in the last few years. While the first Trojan viruses were crude attempts to infect computers, and relied on those users to click a link or open a file, many of today's more sophisticated viruses and Trojan horses can be activated simply by visiting a web page or viewing an email.

To make matters worse, it is all but impossible to completely avoid coming into contact with Trojan viruses, adware, spyware and other malicious software. This harmful software is everywhere, and the best thing computer users can do to protect themselves is to run strong anti virus protection on your computer.

Anti virus software is perhaps the most important software product you can run on your home computer, and no computer, whether used for business or home, should ever be allowed to connect to the internet until it has that strong anti virus protection in place. In addition, in order to be fully protected from the new Trojan viruses that show up every day, it is essential that the anti virus software be updated on a daily basis. In the past many security experts felt that weekly updates were sufficient, but today that is simply not adequate. Most anti virus software products provide the user with the ability to schedule automatic updates, preferably at a time when the computer is not in use.

The importance of anti virus protection
Good anti virus software is the main way to keep a Trojan virus at bay. Another excellent way is to install a personal firewall on your home computer. Software based firewalls are becoming less expensive and easier to use every day, and there are a number of excellent products on the market. Firewalls provide an extra layer of protection by blocking attempts to access your computer and by notifying you when your computer is trying to access the outside world. Most of the software based firewalls on the market today are quite easy to set up and easy to understand.

Many firewall products come bundled with other security products, like anti virus software and internet security software. Others are standalone products; the decision is up to each user whether to buy a standalone anti virus product and a standalone firewall or to buy a package that contains both products. As long as both products are good it is often more cost effective to buy them together. It is important to be sure that both products are capable of blocking all the Trojan viruses, spyware products, etc., that prey on internet users. Reading reviews of several products online or in your favorite computer magazine should give you a good idea of what to look for in both types of products. After you have your protection and security up and running, you will be able to surf the web knowing that your valuable personal information is well protected.