Update your software to avoid hacks

The variety of software loaded on the average computer is part of the reason security problems occur; hackers plot against known vulnerabilities, using loopholes in common tools such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Quicktime.

The best defense: Keep updating programs to fix those loopholes.

One easy method to track which applications are not patched, or fixed, is F-Secure’s one-click Health Check.

This works only with Windows and only runs as an ActiveX tool using Internet Explorer version 6 or later. Download it from f-secure.com.

The upside: You load the simple F-secure download and it evaluates your system. In several minutes it guides you through a color-coded analysis of where you’re at risk.