Practically everyone these days has a computer of some sort, whether it be a personal computer (such as a desktop), a laptop, or one of those fancy new phone/PDAs that can do everything that opens and shuts. And with the advent of the internet and Sharepoint, it seems the world is so much smaller. People can now send mail at the press of a button, and receive mail from anywhere in the world. You can visit a website and see photos of your great Aunt in Tokyo, or watch a video of some guy falling off a rooftop while shifting snow. People can become addicted to gambling in the privacy of their own homes, and avoid the guilt and shame of attending casinos in the big city. Sore feet can be eliminated as you shop from home – and have the gift delivered to the recipient’s address. And your computer can be irreparably damaged by any stranger with the right software.

What did you say?

Yes, everything you do on the internet leaves you susceptible to your computer being attacked by a virus. Viruses are programmes that can find their way into your hard drive/s via an email or attachment that you unwittingly open (who hasn’t thought that they really could be the winner of a lottery they’ve never entered, if they simply open the attached file and verify a few personal details?) Unfortunately, once you’ve opened the attachment, you’ve allowed the virus to enter your hard drive and from there it not only has access to wherever it wants to go, but it can damage everything as it travels there. Internet security is becoming big business, and protecting the livelihoods and hobbies of the internet user is generating money for companies developing antivirus software. Imagine a huge transnational corporation losing everything (customer files, inventories, financial details and the like) because someone accessed a file that downloaded a virus into their servers (incidentally this has happened in the past, with immeasurable losses). This kind of software identifies and eliminates potentially harmful attachments, sometimes before they are opened. Software programmes are now available that are bundled with other kinds of software that does the same job, but with malware, phishing sites and the like. With a complete internet security package you can surf the ‘net safely, without fear of losing everything you have to a malicious developer!