Firefox

• Don't use Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is the most common web browser, but it has many flaws and vulnerabilities that viruses and spyware take advantage of. Instead, consider Mozilla Firefox which is recognised as being safer and more secure than Internet Explorer. It's free to download and install, and it has a number of add-ons which enhance the security and privacy of your internet browsing.

Internet cafés can be very useful for people who do not have their own computers or internet connections. You pay to use the computer by the minute or the hour, and you don't have to deal with any day-to-day computer maintenance, as you would with your own machine. However, internet cafés present security risks of their own.

Software applications are designed to help you perform a particular task. Typical examples of this are 'word processors', such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer, 'email clients' such as Outlook or Thunderbird, and 'photo editors' such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP. Essentially software can be classed in two categories: either Free and Open Source (FOSS) or Proprietary. The most important difference between the two, for our purposes, is legality.