You can be relatively safe while browsing the Web if you have a reliable antivirus and firewall. Nonetheless, surfing the Web is not as safe as many Internet users believe. Apart from viruses, one of the biggest dangers is spyware. Spyware poses real danger these days, because there are many ways your PC can get infected by it. Spyware programs are often downloaded by accident while surfing the Web. They monitor user activities and can even steal sensitive data. In the best case they might just slow down your Internet connection, while in the worst case they might damage some important files on your computer. The best way to protect yourself from such dangerous files is to have an antivirus program installed along with a powerful firewall. Some experts believe that NOD32 is the best antivirus program, and that has been confirmed in various tests.

When it comes to firewalls, there are at least a few reliable ones. If you are looking for a free one then Comodo Firewall is a great choice. Most Windows machines have the default Windows firewall switched on by default. However, the problem is that Microsoft’s firewall is very basic, and might not protect you from all threats. If you decide to install a better firewall, then make sure you disable the default Windows firewall, as two firewalls might conflict with each other. Having too many security programs installed may also in some cases slow down your computer. That is why some users recommend switching off security programs if you want your computer to work fast, but if you do so then you will be vulnerable to many security threats.