Having a computer connected to the internet is a risky activity (particularly for PCs) — there are viruses, worms, adware, spyware, and all sorts of similar threats, all of which see your computer as an attractive target.

The best defense short of pulling the plug is being aware of the dangers and taking a few basic precautions, including:

• Keep your anti-virus software up to date.
• Keep your operating system updated.
• Don't open email attachments you weren't expecting.
• Be suspicious of all free software you download.
• Never email your password to anyone.

For more information, including instructions for making sure your computer is clean, see the Student Computing Knowledge Base article.