Well, here’s the thing: sticking our heads in the sand and hoping for the best isn’t an effective deterrent to the latest viruses and spyware.

The good news is that with a few clicks, you can have virus protection up and running on your Windows system in about five minutes—and it won’t cost you a dime.

Microsoft’s free Security Essentials package has, naturally enough, drawn fire from for-pay competitors like Symantec (maker of Norton Antivirus) and Trend Micro (Online Guardian) for its “basic” and “average” virus protection, while some recent reviews have faulted the software for being “a bit light in the toolbelt.”

Well, maybe so. But for those of us who aren’t security experts but want a solid, low-maintenance shield against viruses and other malware, Security Essentials remains a fast, easy way to buttress your PC’s defenses—and at the very least, it’s better than nothing.

Visit Microsoft’s Security Essentals website to download the software, which works on PCs with Windows XP or better installed. (If your bought your Windows desktop or laptop within the last decade, you should be fine.)

Once installed, the Security Essentials control panel will appear, complete with tabs for updating your antivirus definitions (a continually updated database of the latest online threats) and running quick or full sweeps of your PC’s hard drive.

You can set Microsoft Security Essentials to automatically scan your system on a weekly basis.

Your first step should be to perform a full system scan. Click the Home tab, then select “Full” under “Scan options,” and click the big “Scan now” button. A full virus scan of your PC could take awhile—maybe an hour or more—but at least you’ll be able to do other things while Security Essentials scours your hard drive.

After you’ve completed your first scan, go ahead and click “Quick” under “Scan options” for your future scans, then click the Settings tab to set a schedule for regular virus checks.

Last but not least, keep an eye on the security icon in your system tray (located in the lower-right corner of the screen). If the little fortress icon with the flag on top is green, you’re good; if not, right-click it to perform any necessary updates.

Have more questions about viruses or PC security? Let me know!

Note: This updated and revised article was originally published in June 2011.

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The bad news is that online hack attacks and phishing attemps are getting more and more sophisticated every day. The good news, however, is that you can foil most hackers—or at least keep the damage to a minimum—by following a few simple steps.

1. Never give your password(s) to anyone.
Just get an email from the likes of Citibank, Paypal, or Amazon asking you to verify your username and password? Beware. You may be the target of a phisher—that is, someone who’s trying to steal your login credentials through an official-looking email or website.

First of all, remember that no reputable customer service rep or IT staffer would ever ask for your account password via email or over the phone. Also, never log into one of your online accounts after clicking a (possibly bogus) link in an email message unless you’re convinced the email is legit; instead, type the URL of the account you need to access directly into your web browser.

2. Never open links or attachments in an email from a stranger.
Another favorite tactic of hackers is to trick unsuspecting victims into opening a malicious email attachment or click a link to a Trojan-infested website. Some phishing emails may look incredibly obvious, while others are far more devious—and indeed, in the most recent White House attack, the messages were written in flawless English and referenced projects that the recipients were actually working on, and even appeared to be sent by friends and colleagues. (Such personalized, highly targeting attacks have been dubbed “spear phishing,” according to the New York Times, and unfortunately they’re very tough to spot.) Sneaky, right? In any case, when in doubt, don’t click.

3. Don’t be fooled by anti-virus pop-ups.
You’ve seen ’em—those annoying pop-up ads that purport to have detected a virus in your PC or Mac and promising to clean your system if you just tap the big flashing button. Careful: there’s a good chance that by clicking that ever-tempting link, you’re opening up your computer to a trunk full of malware.

4. Don’t use the same password for all your accounts.
It’s great advice that’s tough to follow—after all, who wants to remember 20 different passwords? The reality, though, is that if you use a single password for all your online accounts and hackers manage to break into one of them, you’ve essentially given them the key to unlocking all the others. Not good.

5. Don’t use a debit card for your online transactions.
If the worst happens and a hacker does manage to snag your address, phone number, and credit card info, you can always dispute any suspicious—and potentially massive—charges with your (typically agreeable) credit card company without dealing with any cash-flow problems. But if the bad guys nab your debit card and manage to drain your checking and savings accounts, you may have to figure out how to cover your rent and groceries while dealing with the authorities. Better to spare yourself any headaches and keep your debit card stowed while shopping online.

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