Your anti-virus software should be set to constantly monitor your system using "real-time monitoring," and you should be sure your virus definitions are kept up to date.

Your network should be behind a hardware firewall, particularly with a high-speed connection. Install a personal firewall to block any content that the hardware may miss.

A strong password is one that has at least 8 characters including letters, numbers, and other non-alphanumeric characters.

Creating and maintaining a set schedule for backing up your data can prepare you for any unfortunate breach that could occur despite your best efforts to remain secure.

Carefully review and install software patches as soon as they become available. This will help to reduce the amount of time that you are vulnerable to an attack.

Reduce the chance that others are able to access your data by using a screen saver that activates after a short time and requires a password to return to the desktop.

In your e-mail client you should use content filter settings to block unwanted e-mail. You can also set your Web browser to block cookies and unwanted JavaScript.

Most computer viruses spread through e-mail or direct downloading to your computer. With this in mind, you should think carefully about everything that you download.

Become aware of the dangers surrounding you on the Internet. You can do this through formal training, or simply keeping up with the latest Internet news and alerts.

Policies or rules should be established in your business or agency, and even in your home, providing guidelines for secure computer use.