Have You Updated Your Internet Security Software Yet?
One of the first things you should do when you connect your new computer to the internet, or install a new security program, is to update your internet security software. If you don’t run these updates right away, you could be as vulnerable as if you didn’t have them at all.
Because new viruses and security threats appear constantly, a protection update (virus, firewall, etc.) is mandatory. Updates can be released for these programs daily so no matter how new your copy is, there will have been new updates for it since it was packaged.
Installing these updates will give you the latest protection against worms, viruses, and other security threats.
How to Make Sure Your Programs Are Up to Date
There are quite a few different virus protection program and internet security software programs available – Norton Internet Security, PC Cillin Internet Security and McAfee Internet Security are three of the most popular ones. Most new computers come with one of these three programs pre-installed.
After you get through the initial setup of your computer, you’ll probably get a window that takes you through the update process for your anti virus or internet security software. If this window doesn’t open automatically, or if you closed it the first time you saw it, you can start it in one of two ways.
First, look in the bottom right corner of your screen. Down by the time, there should be a bunch of little symbols (called 'icons' in computer-speak. One of these is probably for your virus protection or internet security software. If you don’t know which one it is, just point the mouse at each one for a few seconds. When you hold the pointer over one, the name of the
program will pop up. When you find the one you want, click the right-hand mouse button on it. You’ll see a menu of options, one of which should be to open the program. Point to the 'open' option and click the left mouse button.
If there is no icon in the taskbar, you’ll probably find it in the START menu. Click START, then ALL PROGRAMS and look for the Internet Security or Antivirus program in the list. It could be listed under a folder with its name (Norton Internet Security, McAfee Internet Security, etc.) or it might be in another folder. This depends on the brand of your computer, but this other folder is usually called "Security" or something related. When you find the entry for your security program, click on it to open it up.
Once you have the internet security software open, look for a button that you can click to install the latest updates. Just what it says will depend on the program you have installed.
- Norton calls theirs "Live Update"
- PC Cillin is simply "Update Components"
- McAfee’s is called "Security Center Updates"
Example from PC-cillin Internet Security
To download the latest updates, click on this button and follow the instructions from there. How long the update will take depends on your internet connection and how many updates there are, but in most cases it only takes a few minutes.
When the update is finished, you usually have to restart your computer to finish the process.
Once the initial update is done, most internet security software will automatically check for updates when you’re connected to the internet. Normally, they will tell you there is an update available when they find one. I still like to go in every week or two and manually go through this process, just to be safe.
Now, a word of caution about pre-loaded internet security software. Normally when you buy a new computer that includes anti virus or security software, they only include a limited edition of the program.
When you’re buying these programs separately, you’re not really paying for the program so much as paying for a subscription to the updates. In most cases when you buy one of these programs off the shelf, you get one year of updates included. After the year is over, you will have to either pay to extend your subscription or buy a new version of the program. If you don’t do these things, you will no longer get updates as new viruses and other threats are found.
The versions that are included with most new computers are usually only 60 or 90 day versions. That is, you’ll only get updates for 60 or 90 days before you have to pay to extend it or buy the program again. This isn’t always made clear - a lot of people don’t realize their subscription has expired and they aren’t fully protected any longer.
When you get to the end of this "trial" period, make sure you have a plan in place to extend your upgrades. The programs will usually warn you a couple of weeks before they expire, and they will give you the option to go to the company’s web site to extend your subscription. If you would prefer not to do it over the internet, you can also buy the full version from your local computer shop and load that on your computer.
It is often easiest to stay with the same program that was pre-loaded, but it isn’t required. If you prefer, you can easily switch to a different program (from Norton to McAfee for example). Personally, the internet security software that I prefer is PC Cillin Internet Security. It has an excellent reputation for finding all the latest viruses and other threats, and has very thorough protection.
It has the standard antivirus and firewall protection, but also includes a Spyware scanner and anti-spam program, all of which work very well. If you’re coming to the end of your trial period, and aren’t already using PC Cillin, you can download a 30 day trial version to try it out before deciding which program to buy.
Click here to read more about the PC-cillin Internet Security program
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