Protecting your computer from hackers and viruses is an essential task in establishing your home IT set-up.

Any computer that is connected to the internet is vulnerable to intruders who can potentially destroy your hard drive in a matter of minutes or steal vital information. But the good news is that firewall and anti-virus technology is available to protect you and, best of all, some of it’s free!

A firewall is a software programme that runs continuously on your computer and is designed to keep personal data in and hackers out. It effectively makes your computer invisible on the internet so that hackers can’t find it and blocks suspicious internet traffic. It also prevents personal information from being sent out without your knowledge.

While the most comprehensive firewalls can cost up to £30, you can also download versions free from the internet – try www.zonelabs.com for free downloads.

Make sure you also install anti-virus software; this is usually included with a firewall in most off-the-shelf computer protection software. Anti-spyware software, to protect you from malicious programmes which can be installed on your computer without your knowledge, is also a must have (Microsoft offer a good, free version).