Today, we have computers that connect to a world wide internet, offering us a vast array of multimedia and just about anything we could have ever dreamed of using a computer for, has now become a reality.

Along With all these wonderful advances in technology and greater access to information and knowledge, has come a problem that has plagued the computer industry almost from the beginning, and that is the problem of how we can maintain our computer security and online privacy.

There exists an underlying culture of internet users whose number one priority in life is to hack into computer systems, whether corporate, business or private home users, with the goal of destroying or stealing data.

Financial gain from the theft of personal information is rampant now, and identity theft is becoming a more common form of cybercrime. Most hackers are content to delete or destroy the information on a computer or to take a computer over and turn it into one of their own hacking devices. Generally, these types of attacks occur without the user's knowledge.

So, with all these dangers about, users really need to find out how to protect themselves from hackers and their viruses, trojans and spyware - and now also phishing to steal private information. There are two basic software applications that everyone should have on their computer to protect their data and their computer from harm. These are a Firewall and an AntiVirus program.

The first line of defence is a good Firewall, so named because it acts similar to a firewall in your car, which protects the car body and its passengers from the engine, in the event of a fire. The Firewall is a software program that, once set up, will give a layer of security between the computer and the internet.

The AntiVirus software is also essential in stopping Viruses and Trojans in their tracks. Most AntiVirus programs are managed by professional companies that specifically devote all their time and effort to protecting users from viruses.

We can all do other things to stop ourselves from becoming the target of hackers, and the main way is by being aware and vigilant. We need to be careful about the emails we open and watch the kinds of websites we visit. Hackers are very clever people, who will prey on the fear we all have of losing our data, by offering their own brand of virus protection software, which contains viruses or is damaging.

One of the best things we can do is to find out, from reputable sources, what we need to be look out for and what software we should use. Our local computer store is a good place to start and you can search online for reputable AntiVirus news to keep up to date and informed. If we will take the time to find out what the hackers are doing, we will be much better at keeping them at bay and avoiding their attacks.