What is Anti-Virus?

Answer:

Anti-virus files by removing viruses and worms. Some anti-virus may quarantine infected files in order to keep a virus from spreading on your computer. Some anti-virus software can repair infected files so you can use them without fear of damaging your computer or spreading a virus to others.

What risks are involved?
Without anti-virus software, you can leave your system wide open for every kind of bug, worm, and virus that are hosted on the Internet. These viruses can cause your computer to malfunction, perform poorly or steal your personal identifiable information (PII).

What can I do to protect myself?
Install anti-virus software on your families or personal computer. Be sure to run daily updates. There are many vendors that support anti-virus software. Cost can vary. Check with your Internet Service Providers (ISP) to see if anti-virus protection is included with your subscription.

How do I know if I have anti-virus software on my computer?
A computer with a properly installed anti-virus software usually will prompt you to update the program every once in a while. Look for common anti-virus software on your machine (Symantec, Sophos, McAfee etc.)