Ever since its inception, the Internet has earned a reputation as a haven for freebies: free Web browsers, free e-mail, free music, free product samples, free mortgage quotes, free radioactive iodine blocker. . . . OK, so maybe some of the free items are more desirable than others. Among the most desirable freebies available on the Internet today are Antivirus resources designed to combat malicious code.

The Source On Antivirus Resources. Many computer users today are betting the security of their data on no-cost Antivirus solutions, and who can blame them? Why pay an annual fee for a traditional Antivirus utility, such as Symantec's Norton Antivirus or Network Associates' McAfee VirusScan, when you can get the same thing for free? Computers cost enough as it is, and many users just can't afford or justify the extra expense.

Although we don't advocate making decisions based solely on price (the old saying that you get what you pay for often proves uncomfortably true when the price you pay is nothing), we understand the motivation to save a buck can be awfully persuasive. If you're going to be cheap, we may as well help you do it right. The truth is that you can create a fairly effective virus barrier around your computer system if you practice safe computing techniques (see "Head 'Em Off At The Pass" in this issue for more information about preventing virus infections) and take advantage of some of the Internet's free Antivirus resources.

Actually, the free Antivirus resources located on the Web do more than fight viruses. They also combat worms (destructive programs designed to propagate across a network), Trojan horses (programs that claim to be one thing while actually doing something else), intrusive crackers (hackers who use their computing skills for malicious purposes), and any other insidious pests that pose a threat to your computer system.

Free Antivirus resources come in many forms. One, they come as virus directories, which provide explanations of and remedies for many of the most common types of malicious code. Two, you'll find them appear as Web-based virus-scanning services that scour your computer's storage devices for the presence of infections. And three, you'll even find them present themselves as full-blown Antivirus programs you can install on your PC for complete virus protection.

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