How long has it been since you've taken a look at your software to fight off any viruses? Then again, perhaps you don't have any software at all installed on your computer to take care of any nasty bugs!

It's time to turn your attention to the subject even if you feel you are ready. Anyone that's been hiding under a rock should know that this software runs continuously in the background of your computer (it's in your Start group), looking for infected files that can come from a variety of sources, including the Internet, CD-ROMs, disks and probably the most publicized source, e-mail messages.

Although you and your company or firm may have anti-virus software, the real advantage to having it is to automatically take care of any virus that comes in via regular, Web-enabled updates. You can set these updates to occur automatically by setting a time and date in your software program.

Experts recommend you avoid free anti-virus software demos and opt for the paid version. The demos often do not reflect the latest updates, bells and whistles.