Best free internet security? Help!

Stronger

I really dont know a great deal about computers, but need the internet at home for several key reasons.

My internet security has expired, and being the tight-wad that I am combined with a debt busting mentality, I'd like a free system on my PC for nasty gremlins and the like.

Can any of you helpful people out there help and suggest what i can do, what my options are etc?

Hope so, otherwise i'm scared to use the net until this is sorted.....

Thank you all!

Aliktren

AVG Free for Anti virus and a Free Firewall, of which there are several, I think theres a post at the top of the forum, also spybot or adaware for spyware, all free

DatabaseError

personally (others will have different opinions)
hardware firewall (decent router)
avg free antivirus
windows sp2 firewall (not perfect, allows outgoing connections, but i'm careful) or zonealarm free
lavasoft adaware free
spybot s+d free
my pc is virus free, spyware free, and 'truestealth' on every firewall checker i've tried.

the only part to cost money was the router, mine cost me £10.50 from ebay, bt business price £92

penrhyn

This sticky has lots of advise,

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=3356

nephilim

that post is out of date, massively so...

please visit my thread here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=808303 for an upto date list of free programs to use.

penrhyn

Much better should be made a sticky.

nephilim

if you need a performance boost, visit this one too http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=808281 , also made by myself

pandora205

Hi

I've been reading this thread and just wondering if I really need all of this software? I've just purchased a new Dell laptop with Windows Vista.

Thanks

superscaper

pandora205 wrote: »

Hi

I've been reading this thread and just wondering if I really need all of this software? I've just purchased a new Dell laptop with Windows Vista.

Thanks

You need a firewall (Vista has one but most people consider it insufficient).
You need an antivirus (McAfee and Norton aren't recommended)
You need an antispyware app (preferably more than one to get widest detection rate possible).

penrhyn

Yes you do.

Lazy_Ike

nephilim wrote: »

that post is out of date, massively so...

please visit my thread here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=808303 for an upto date list of free programs to use.

Highly suspect posting. Have checked the list. One link is broken. One link takes you to a site which is mainly in German, and other links in "Internet cleanup tools" take you to pornography sites.