Anti-virus software is absolutely essential for detecting viruses in incoming email and viruses in email you might be sending to others. Just as with firewalls, if your computer is unprotected, purchase the software offline (it is important to renew online only if your anti-virus software is still current). You can make sure your program is active by hovering your mouse over the anti-virus icon on your task bar, but it will only be up-to-date if you download updates whenever needed. You can set your anti-virus software to automatically download updates as they become available.
Most ISPs now offer anti-virus scanning of emails and subscription services for additional security services. This can help greatly reduce the number of viruses your computer has to cope with. Even if your ISP provides such a service, you still need your own anti-virus program for extra protection.
There are a number of software programmes that offer virus filtering along with a number of other functions such as spam filtering, content filtering etc. The New Zealand Consumer Institute and publications like NetGuide magazine can offer excellent product information and comparisons of what is available.
