By putting just a few simple safeguards in place, you can make your experience of surfing the Internet so much more secure. Such steps include installing protection programs like anti-virus software or a personal firewall on your computer. Bear the following information in mind when using these kinds of program:

• Free products often come with only limited functionality. Find out about the different functions offered by free and paid-for programs and weigh up whether purchasing a program would be worth it for you.
• Only ever download programs from manufacturer websites. This is the only way to ensure the programs you install are up to date.
• Check whether security updates are available for the programs you have installed and perform these updates regularly. Keep all programs up to date.

Checksum verification allows you to create a checksum for the downloaded files and compare it with the checksum provided by the author (even if you have obtained the files from a reputable source). You can then be relatively sure that the file or app you have downloaded has not been modified.