It is critical that you take steps to ensure your computer(s) are safe to be on the Internet.

Basically there are three types of infections: viruses, worms, and the aptly named Trojan horse. All three are labeled infections because they exist on your computer without your consent and exhibit malicious activity such as (but not limited to) slowing down or corrupting your computer, making the files on your computer open to hackers and identity theft, bogging down the speed of your internet connection, hosting illegal Web sites on your computer, crashing email or Web hosting servers, sending spam email, and infecting other people's computers. In short, they're nasty and you don't want them on your computer.

Maintaining up to date anti-virus (or AV) software is essential for the security of your computer. AV software will protect you by scanning files and email for possible infections as well as running scans on your computer to detect existing infections. While not a guarantee, AV protection will greatly increase the odds of preventing your computer from getting infected as well as removing anything that may already exist.

AV software needs to be kept current to remain effective. New infections constantly crop up which requires constant updates by your software. We highly recommend setting up automatic updates as well as periodic system scans.

A firewall is a product that acts as a barrier between your computer and the internet. It stops unwanted requests to your computer, and permits legitimate ones, functioning much like a door in the front of your home. If you didn't have a front door, intruders could come and go as they pleased, stealing and damaging your things. A firewall becomes the door to your network, allowing you to do as you will, but keeping others out.

To be more technical, the unwanted activity is usually in the form of port scanning which is an attempt to connect to open vulnerabilities on your computer to exploit it. This can mean infecting your computer with a virus, accessing files and stealing information, corrupting the computer, or using your computer as a relay to hide hacker activity.

Microsoft has compiled an extensive firewall FAQ that we recommend for further reading. It can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/firewall/faq.mspx.

Wireless security is a way of protecting your wireless connection from unauthorized users. Wireless devices will scan for available networks to connect to within range. This range varies by the make and model of your equipment but typically is approximately 500ft. This means that neighbors (especially in apartment/dorm situations) within this range can connect to your internet service if you do not protect your network.

You are responsible for any activity coming out of your Road Runner account, even if it was not done by you as the account holder. As an example, let's say a neighbor is connecting to your unsecured wireless network and is downloading/distributing copyrighted materials (like movies or music). If they get caught, the activity would be traced back to you as the owner of the account and you would be the legally responsible party. This goes the same for someone connecting that happened to be infected with a virus/Trojan; the malicious activity would be traced back to your account, and your internet service could be suspended.

There are four ways to protect your wireless network.

1. The first option is to enable WEP; this is basically a password in hexadecimal format (numbers and letters) and can be 64-bit or 128-bit. The difference between the bits is length - 128-bit will be a longer password and therefore more secure.
2. As an alternative to WEP, some routers offer WPA encryption. This is a phrase instead of a password, and can be easier to remember.
3. MAC filtering works by banning all computers from connecting to your network except for the ones you specifically put in the 'allow' list. This option is a bit more advanced as you will need to find out the MAC of each device you want to allow to connect and add it to the list.
4. Give your network a unique name. The router default is usually the name of the manufacturer (i.e. 'linksys' or 'netgear') and should be changed to something more specific such as 'Jones Family', or unusual like 'Mithrandir'. Not only will this make it easier for you to identify your own network but it also helps your neighbors to know it's not theirs - especially if your neighbor has the same router manufacturer as yourself!
5. In order to hide your network altogether, we suggest selecting not to broadcast your SSID network (usually by deselecting the option in the configuration screen).

For specific instructions or general help regarding setting up security on your router, contact the manufacturer of your router directly.