Anti-virus and personal firewalls

Anti-virus: Every PC should have some type of anti-virus protection. Gizmo's Tech Support Alert continues to update the ratings for Anti-virus programs. Purchased two new computers in 2016 with Windows 10. Removed McAfee software and used the built-in Windows Defender instead.

Do I need a firewall? Yes, you need a firewall. If you have a hardware firewall, often included with DSL/Cable setup, don't bother with an additional software firewall. Click here to read Microsoft's information on firewalls. At a minimum turn on the firewall provided with Windows.

Personal firewall: We use the built-in Windows Firewall for protection. The Tech Support Alert site has recommendations here.

Microsoft has a Safety & Security section explaining various protection tools and why you need them. ZoneLabs created a useful guide called How to Protect Your Family's PC. Click here to view/download the 19 page PDF file. (It might be little dated.)

Testing: To test your PC's security I recommend using the Gibson Research ShieldsUp! tool. Check out Gibson Research at www.grc.com and click on Services to run ShieldsUp! (The site is very popular so response time might be an issue.)