To provide ongoing protection against newly discovered viruses, antivirus software must be kept up to date.

An antivirus program may be preinstalled on your computer. It is strongly recommended that you use the antivirus program of your choice in order to fully protect your computer.

For more information about computer viruses, from the Start screen, type support, and then select

the HP Support Assistant app.

Using firewall software

Firewalls are designed to prevent unauthorized access to a system or network. A firewall can be software you install on your computer and/or network, or it can be a combination of both hardware and software.

There are two types of firewalls to consider:

●Host-based firewalls—Software that protects only the computer it is installed on.

●Network-based firewalls—Installed between your DSL or cable modem and your home network to protect all the computers on the network.

When a firewall is installed on a system, all data sent to and from the system is monitored and compared with a set of user-defined security criteria. Any data that does not meet those criteria is blocked.

Installing software updates

HP, Windows, and third-party software installed on your computer should be regularly updated to correct security problems and improve software performance. For more information, see Updating programs and drivers on page 60.

Installing critical security updates

HP recommends that you regularly update the software and drivers that were originally installed on your computer. To download the latest versions, go to http://www.hp.com/go/contactHP. At this location, you can also register to receive automatic update notifications when they become available.

If you have installed third-party software after you purchased your computer, regularly update the software. Software companies provide software updates to their products to correct security problems and improve functionality of the software.

Installing HP and third-party software updates

HP recommends that you regularly update the software and drivers that were originally installed on your computer. To download the latest versions, go to http://www.hp.com/go/contactHP. At this location, you can also register to receive automatic update notifications when they become available.

If you have installed third-party software after you purchased your computer, regularly update the software. Software companies provide software updates to their products to correct security problems and improve functionality of the software.

Securing your wireless network

When you set up your wireless network, always enable security features. For more information, see Protecting your WLAN on page 19.

66 Chapter 8 Securing your computer and information

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