Many of us keep our most important files on a detachable USB drive which could easily be taken by a third-party, files copied on to their drive, without you being any the wiser. This could include your media collection, work documents, accounts or any other file. Although we setup a login and password to secure our PC, we simply forget that some of those files are not hosted on the main hard drive (and even then are not that secure).

TrueCrypt 6.2a is free encryption technology that you can use to secure your drive and prevent unauthorised users from gaining access to the contents. You can create an encrypted volume, if you desire, and simply read/write to this volume as if it was a standard partition. As TrueCrypt is a cross-platform tool, if you decided to turn your portable USB key in to an encrypted drive, you could simply move this to/from your PC and Mac and use it with few compatibility issues (irrespective of the NTFS read/write issues).

TrueCrypt for Windows and for Mac links.

Problem with traditional anti-virus software is that you rely on the technology to auto-update its database to protect itself against the latest threats. This is fine if your AV software is designed to update daily, half-daily or more often. However, if this doesn't happen, then you can get infected quite easily, without knowing you are infected. Boot your computer and you may find you can't get back in to your system.

Trend Micro HouseCall 7.0 is a beta preview of forthcoming technology that will enable you to run an online scanner from your desktop that uses the latest anti-virus definitions to thoroughly check your computer for the latest threats. The downside is that you need to have valid online connection and hope any infection hasn't affected how you interact with a remote server.

Trend Micro HouseCall link.

When we want to delete information from our computer, we drag files to the Recycle Bin (Trashcan). In the future, we'll empty the trash and realise that the file has disappeared from our computer. This is ideal if you share your computer with other users and want to hide files you've downloaded from, say, your kids. Or is it? Not at all. The files you place in your trash are kept on your drive, even though you can't see or access them. Any basic file recovery application will locate and salvage the deleted files.

Freeraser 1.0.0.22 is a free secure version of your normal Recycle bin that includes an icon within your System Tray. When you want to delete some important files or data, simply click the icon, a bin will appear and you drag them across as normal. The application will completely and securely erase the data from your computer.

Freeraser link.

We've got to the stage with computers where we can use a three-year-old PC for our day-to-day work without having to worry about having to upgrade to use the latest software. Only a few years ago it seemed to be case where even the most recent PC was out-of-date after 6 months and needed to be upgraded. However, some of the latest security suites have forced us to regress. Why? As these apps check everything we do with our PC, so it causes system slowdown. Files are checking before you save them to your computer, when you attempt to open from your desktop and, if they are within an archive, when you open the archive. Everything is checked, all the time.

AVG Anti-Virus Free 8.5 is the latest version of the free lightweight and popular anti-virus software that will give your PC protection against most day-to-day threats, without interfering with your work. You also get anti-spyware protection with the latest v8 release. Only this week, AVG announced v8.5 and, whilst this now ships with identity protection support in the paid-for version, the Free edition gains support for Windows 7 and other improvements.

AVG Anti-Virus Free link.

All manner of personal information is stored on the average computer, whether it's a work or home machine. The majority of files and folders on your machine won't be overly sensitive, but there will be a certain proportion that are and that need to be kept secure. One way of keeping this data secure is to use a file security program, that way you can hide, encrypt and even lock certain folders and files that are stored on your computer.

Folder Lock 6.1.7 is a useful application for preventing others from accessing private files and folders. You can also protect any data stored on removable media including USB Flash drives and CD-RW. This is a useful application that's incredibly easy-to-use.

Folder Lock 6.1.7 link. 

A good antivirus is one of the first things you should equip your computer with; after all, there are plenty to choose from no matter how limited your budget. Many of the leading names in computer security now offer freeware antivirus solutions that are more than capable of identifying and protecting your computer from everyday virus threats. These freeware alternatives can also be used before you purchase the full version, if required.

PC Tools AntiVirus 6 is a freeware application that provides real-time virus protection. PC tools products are widely used and are trusted by many and this free tool does what it says on the tin, it also benefits from regular database updates and comprehensive system scanning.

PC Tools AntiVirus 6 link.

Like everyone else, it's too easy to believe that the commercial security software from so-called heavyweight established developers will give better protection from the latest Internet threats. Problem is that I was offered one of the 2009-edition security suites from an established security development company and have since found that it checks, literally, everything. When we test local web content, this security suite checks the page for 'threats' before it loads in to the browser. Result? Everything is suddenly about 30% slower - email takes longer to download and process, every single file that's opened or copied from drive to drive is checked for threats and even the web browser checks the page content, making browsing a slower experience.

Irony is though that most of these security checks are superfluous. A web page that we create does not need to be checked when loaded in to the browser, locally. Files copied from one location to another location, on the same system, do not need to be checked for threats. So, all these options had to be disabled manually to keep our system sane and working smoothly. Problem is, this security suite now complains our PC is constantly 'at risk'.

One conclusion is that these so-called established security developers are seeking new ways to 'protect' your PC but, really, they are battling to protect themselves against the latest threats, thus resulting in virus developers seeking brand new methods to get in to your computer. Result is that the security software checks everything, all the time, just in case. Your system slows as a result.

Comodo Internet Security 3.8 is a completely free security suite consisting of an anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall modules. The latest version has an improved AV engine, support for Comodo's community threat database, better support for native Vista security features and much more.

Comodo Internet Security link.

Passwords are part-an-parcel of computer use, they are used to log onto a work computer or access online banking and networking sites, in fact, you need one for just about everything. Remembering all of your passwords isn't easy so many people resort to scribbling them down on a scrap of paper and they inevitably end up lost or in the bin. A far easier and more convenient way of keeping your passwords both safe and secure is to use a password storage utility, which can be accessed with a single master password.

Efficient password manager 1.0 is a free solution that provides secure password management that also ships with an integrated password generator. All stored passwords are fully protected with an advanced encrypted login and the application provides a number of other useful features such as hierarchical grouping and adding attachments to password entry all within an easy-to-use interface.

Password Depot 4 is another free password manager designed for maximum user-friendliness. It ships with a function for that enables you to automatically complete fields on a web page with your username and password. The application also enables you to install Password Depot on a USB Flash drive so passwords can be taken on the road.

Unless your computer is not connected to the Internet, it's inevitable that at some point you will encounter malicious software of some kind. Malicious software can be disguised and distributed in a number of different ways and is becoming increasingly difficult for many applications to identify let alone protect against. Some applications claim to protect against the very latest online threats but many of these tools are bloated with useless tools when all that's needed is a functional, non obtrusive security application.

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal tool 2.7 is a freeware utility from Microsoft that enables you to identify the latest threats to your operating system. You can run system scans manually and view the full results. You can use the Microsoft website to ensure that you have the latest version.

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal tool 2.7 link.

Although few virus developers are going to go out of their way to find ways of getting in to a pre-production operating system, no-one should run a new OS without a firewall and other security tools. You never know if a virus designed for Vista may work as effectively on Windows 7. Problem is that Windows 7 doesn't support many of the existing security tools, so you can't just install your favourite application. Besides, the problem with a new license for the new OS might mean that you can't legally install anyhow.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Technical Preview for Windows 7 is the latest version of the anti-virus tool designed specifically for the new operating system. As the OS is still in beta preview, this is merely a technical preview of the forthcoming anti-virus tool. This updated version includes an updated interface and improved heuristic scanner.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows 7 link.