Let's start at the beginning. You go down to your local retailer and purchase a brand new computer. You take said computer back home and slot it in the space you made for it 10 minutes before you left. You plug it into the ever so lovingly crafted telephone port and a few crude plugs hanging from your wall. You step back and admire your handiwork. Let's do this thing! You turn on your new toy and it starts up a dream. Then times slows and the hair on your neck creep upwards as you realise something is amiss as a window like this pops up:



'WTF? I didn't do anything!' I hear you cry. Oh but you did you allowed yourself to be taken unawares in the most tender of spots. Your computers plethora of backdoors and potholes that allow those nasty haxors in to play. 'What can I, a simple noob at this interweb magic do to prevent this?' I hear you wail. Well here we go:

TIME TO TAKE BACK YOUR COMPUTER!

Go here and scan your computer for available updates, this is vital and can stop a great deal of attacks that include turning your computer off and logging your internet off the service provider. Once you have all these updates you can sit back and relax today’s work is done!

When you next have time Dr Aleks advises you to go and download a reputable firewall. One such as ZoneAlarm yup that's a link you can click it! I've done the finger work for you! As you can see the last one in the list is a freebie, that's the stuff we are looking for! Download and install this piece of software. Once you have installed ZoneAlarm you can have a go at configuring it. I suggest that you use the highest security settings and leave the Auto-Lock engaged for now.

Here are a few things that need access:
ISP (Internet Service Providers) software, AOL for instance.
ZoneAlarm itself obviously!
Microsoft® Windows® Operating System files.

Other things that you are unsure of keep as blue question marks for now until you grow more accustomed to the layout and operation. Ok take a rest that was hard work!

Ok next time you log on to your computer you will require an anti-spyware program. I suggest Ad-Aware yes again a link for you. Click on the Ad-Aware Personal close to the top on the left column and download the software. This is a great little program that doesn’t need any configuring to use immediately after install. In fact run it straight away after install and you will find all sorts of goodies for haxors, hidden away out of sight on your PC. It is quite safe to remove and delete anything AdAware picks up on your computer and it hasn't steered me wrong yet.

Right this is the final piece of software for now and it is called AVG Free Edition another link you guessed it! What you are looking for is this:



Ok download and install this it works pretty much by itself and although its detection score on comparisons is not the best it does the job in hand and its updates are regular.

You are now pretty much safe from evil on the internet! Of course make sure to keep them all updated and regularly go back to the websites for free upgrades.

Thanks go to @sapphiretiger for helping me with the code.

Happy and safe surfing.
Al