Keeping your broadband secure and your computer safe is very important, but you don't need to worry too much about the implications such as cost as you can pick and free security programs, such as free anti virus and also a free firewall that will help keep your computer safe from anything nasty (providing you use them and keep them up-to-date!)

One of the reasons why it is more important to protect your computer when you have broadband that when you have dial up is the reason that with broadband your connection is always on and with dial up you only connect when you need to use the internet. This instantly means that your computer is now able to be accessed more than it was when it was on dial up as you are likely to have the computer connected to the Internet more than when you were using dial up. The benefits of broadband mean that it is worth getting broadband over dial up and also it is relatively simple to protect your computer so you don't need to be worrying too much about security issues (although you should never forget about them as you need to keep up-to-date with security updates available)

If you are using a router to connect your broadband to the Internet than you should get a firewall in place to protect you computer from anyone trying to access it through the router. A personal firewall monitors and checks for any activity that it finds suspicious, such as if a program is trying to access your computer. You will be alerted to these so you can block them or allow them if they are legitimate programs. A free personal firewall is ZoneAlarm (free for individual and not-for-profit charities).

I guess the first thing to consider is physical access to the router, if you are using (like most) the router at home for a personal computer then this isn't something that you will probably do much about as it will most likely be pretty close to the main computer station anyway, if however it is in a company then you should consider having it locked away securely so anyone doesn't have easy access to it who shouldn't!

Computer viruses are also a threat to your computer, and even users on dial up are affected by these so this is not just a broadband specific issue. Anyone connecting to the Internet has to be careful when it comes to computer viruses, there are plenty out there but a few simple rules and strategies can help keep your computer clean and safe.

First on the list is getting an anti-virus. This is the best way to fight the chance of your computer getting infected with a virus. What's more though is once you have your anti-virus software it is vitally important to keep it up-to-date. Usually once you have antivirus software the company who make the software will offer free upgrades and latest releases to help protect you when new viruses get detected! It can literally take only a few seconds to get the latest update so is well worth checking everyday if you can to see if there is a new update available.

The next big suggestion is with regards to viruses is that quite often they are spread by email. If you receive an email with an attachment that you are not expecting (even if it is from someone you know) not to open it. If you are unsure then you should email or call whoever sent it you and ask them if they had sent it and to check that it isn't a virus. If they haven't sent it then the chances are it is a virus. Also, with attachments if you receive one with a double extension then no to open it. For example you may receive something like holidayphoto.jpg.exe. This is meant to look like the file is actually a JPEG image file when infact it is not, it is an .exe file that executes a program to run automatically (most likely a virus).

A good free antivirus software to get is AVG and they also offer free updates when new viruses or risks are found.