Rule 2 - Protect your computer with an antivirus program

If you connect to the Internet, you must have an antivirus program. Have it properly configured to give you continuous protection. Get updates to your antivirus program as they appear. Most important, however is getting frequent updates to the definition files. Antivirus programs require virus definition files to know what to look for when protecting or scanning your computer. If you do not have the latest definition files, you antivirus program cannot find the latest virus. So get updates regularly, at least once a week.

Here are some sources of free antivirus software:

AVG: http://www.grisoft.com/ Be sure to get the free version, and not the free trial version!

Avast 4 Home Edition http://www.avast.com/

Once you have your antivirus program installed and updated, be certain that it is set to give you continuous protection in the background. Also scan your computer with it from time to time.