AOL and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) released their second annual Online Safety Study a few months back, and the results weren't pretty. While the latest survey did find that users were getting better at taking the steps necessary to keep their PCs properly secured, the findings show that there are still plenty of people who just don't understand online risks.

Some of the key facts uncovered by the Online Safety Study included:

• 81% of home PCs lack one of the three main sources of protection - a secure firewall, anti-virus software, and spyware protection.
• 56% of users had no anti-virus software installed, or had not updated their virus definition files in the last week.
• 44% of users did not have a properly-configured firewall in place.
• 38% of users lacked spyware protection.
• Most telling, perhaps, is the fact that even in light of these findings, 83% of users surveyed still believed that their PCs were safe and properly secured.

The online security threat landscape has certainly changed from the days when viruses were home users' biggest worry, but the survey shows that users are largely not keeping up with the times. Every PC connected to the Internet today should be configured with the following (at an absolute minimum):

• A personal firewall capable of filtering both inbound and outbound traffic.
• Updated anti-virus software that offers real-time protection, the ability to scan on-demand, and email message scanning features.
• Updated anti-spyware software that not only scans for and removes spyware on demand, but also proactively protects against threats in real-time.
• Windows Automatic Updates turned on (to download and install critical security patches, service packs, and updates automatically), or weekly visits to the Windows Update web site to obtain the latest critical updates.

Thankfully, keeping your PC updated and properly protected against online threats needn't cost you a penny. There are a number of anti-virus, anti-spyware, and personal firewall programs available free for personal use. A simple web search will turn up direct links to some of the more popular options, which I will be discussing in more detail in future articles.

For the time being, however, considering beginning your PC lockdown process by taking a look at my beginner's guide to eradicating spyware, The Best Free Anti-Spyware Programs. A secure PC is a fast PC, so take the time to start locking down your home computer today. Your system will thank you!