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With more people than ever using their computers to purchase goods, on-line banking, stock market investments and services such as pay pal, the need for securing your personal computer from potential hackers has become paramount. Some of these criminals may be trying to "Phish" your personal information (send bogus links in emails in hopes you will give them information on seemingly legit websites), others may be trying to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other unknowing targets. And, others may be trying to install malicious programs on your computer to steal your personal information.

The following are some easy to use steps to help secure your computer.

1.Always make backups of important information and store in a safe place separate from your computer. Don't save important information in any email account. Print it out and delete the original email, making sure the original email doesn't sit in the trash bin either.

2.Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software frequently. If you have a Windows operating system, set your update options to automatic. This program will help you find the latest patches for your Windows computer.

3.Install a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and ad ware can all easily access your computer from the Internet. Consideration should be given to the benefits and differences between hardware and software based firewall programs. Still redundancy is a good thing, so try to use a router with a built in firewall along with your PCs firewall and anti-virus software.

4.Review your browser and email settings for optimum security. Why should you do this? Active-X and Java Script are often used by hackers to plant malicious programs into your computers. While cookies are relatively harmless in terms of security concerns, they do still track your movements on the Internet to build a profile of you. At a minimum set your security setting for the “Internet zone” to High, and your “trusted sites zone” to Medium Low.

5.Install anti-virus software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most current versions.

6.Do not open unknown email attachments. It is simply not enough that you may recognize the address from which it originates because many viruses can spread from a familiar address, and anyone can pretend to be someone you trust.

7.Do not run programs from unknown origins. Also, do not send these types of programs to friends and coworkers because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes. They may contain a Trojans horse waiting to infect a computer.

8.Disable hidden file name extensions. By default, the Windows operating system is set to “hide file extensions for known file types”. Disable this option so that file extensions display in Windows. Some file extensions will, by default, continue to remain hidden, but you are more likely to see any unusual file extensions that do not belong.

9.Turn off your computer and disconnect from the network when not using the computer. A hacker can not attack your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.

10.Consider making a boot disk on a floppy disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised by a malicious program. Obviously, you need to take this step before you experience a hostile breach of your system.

Finally, if you are using a wireless network, secure it by using strong encryption! If you incorporate these steps, you will ensure a safer, and more enjoyable on line experience.