If you are a novice in the Internet and have just bought a computer, you might have heard about computer viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware and phishing. You could also have heard much about anti-virus software that is meant to protect your online safety and guarantee security while surfing the net. If you still hesitate whether to use the software or not, please read the following considerations.

The question whether to use antivirus or anti-spyware software or not cannot be answered otherwise than in the affirmative, but there are some myths that people still believe in.

If you still wonder what a computer virus is, go and read about different types of computer malware. If you already know enough about viruses, trojans, worms and phishing, you should understand that the more chances you leave malware to penetrate your system, the easier it will be for online criminals to get their hands on your personal information, like credit card information, files, photos, electronic keys, mail, etc. If you believe no internet security software may help you as all of them have flaws, then you just leave the doors open to every unexperienced hacker and risk losing your private data in no time.

You might be aware that antivirus programs eat up a lot of computer resources and slow down your computer performance. Have you thought of how low computer speed may fall if a hacker gets access of your machine? Thousands of computers all over the world are turned into "bots" that do what hackers tell them to without users' knowing about that. It is not a good idea to let your computer send spam while playing Wow online, I suppose. So, do not be afraid of losing some small bit of system performance with internet security software on board, you will still have a lot, especially nowadays, when antivirus programs use the most state-of-the-art technologies.

If you think you can kill any virus once you got it on your computer, you should take into account such malware as "rootkits" that hide processes, files and registry keys from your system. There are even more problems with installing and running antivirus software on an infected machine. Some malware is so smart that it will not let any antivirus launch on an infected computer. Some will never be deleted by antivirus programs as they know how to "protect" themselves from antivirus algorithms. Therefore, it is always a good idea to have an on-access antivirus weapon running in the background and blocking malware from getting on your machine. And remember, prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is much easier to prevent viruses from entering your computer than it is to get rid of them and cure your computer once it becomes infected.

When choosing an internet security software package, it is advisable to check with your vendor. Local retailers may offer antivirus programs with discounts if you buy a new computer from them and antivirus may be pre-installed on your machine. Just check your instruction manual if you have it or not. Always pay attention to the frequency of virus base updates, make sure they are daily and you have them downloaded every time they appear. Technical support should be prompt and helpful in case you have trouble.