AVG Antivirus
AVG started out as a reasonable competitor to Norton Antivirus and the others back in the 90’s, and it was free. Then they monetised. You really had to hunt to find their free edition. Nowadays, I don’t think the free edition is even on their main website. When you do find it (at the link below), they will really try punt their paid-for offerings, so read the screen and make sure you get the free one. The only difference is when you get their updates. Unless you are surfing dodgy websites all day as part of your job, you’ll be fine with this free edition. Personally, I turn off the daily scan of the computer and rather let it protect the perimeter.
Get it here:
TrueCrypt
Some files you need to encrypt. Files that contain your bank details or passwords for example. What? You don’t write this stuff down? You’re getting geriatric you know. You’re going to forget...
TrueCrypt comes very highly recommended, and is about as secure as you can get. It’s not hard to use and there is good documentation. You can install it, but it will also run standalone, so it will fit nicely on your USB flash drive.
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ZoneAlarm
I admit I’ve resorted to Windows firewall, but if I was in an environment where I wanted something more secure or where I could have more control, then ZoneAlarm would be my choice of personal firewall. This type of firewall runs on your computer and is more focused on outgoing nasties than perhaps incoming ones, since you’re probably behind a firewall on your router anyway. Usually with ZoneAlarm. You install the trial of the full package, and then when the free bit expires, it downgrades itself to a basic firewall, which is all you need most of the time anyway.
Get it here:
SpyBot and AdAware
If your computer is running like a lame pig in monsoon season, you’ve probably got spyware hogging you down. I suggest running both of the suggested programs here, as one will not cover all bases. It’s been a while since I’ve used these, so I’m not sure about their latest versions.
Get them here:
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