Computer ownership today is a responsibility. A virus on your computer has the potential to slow down the Internet service of your neighbors and send spam e-mail to everyone in your address book. Your important data on your computer should also be safe-guarded against loss and theft. Luckily, there are some great solutions out there that are affordable and effective.

I will talk about two different products that I highly recommend. The first program is the #1 rated anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware, and firewall product on the market. The second program is the same program that I use to back up all of my files, including my sensitive financial files.

Norton Internet Security 2009 is the #1 rated security program on the market. It has won numerous awards and was completely re-created for the 2009 version. Many people associate Norton with a cause of computer slowness. While it is true that Norton products used to be a little bloated, the 2009 version is the lightest and fastest security program on the market today designed for home users. This program retails for $69.95. However, if you click here and enter coupon code 10offnis09, you will be able to purchase it for only $62.99. This program covers three computers with one license.

Now that your operating system is protected with Norton, it’s time to protect your data from loss due to hard drive failure, building fire, natural disaster, and more. The best solution for most users today is Carbonite. Carbonite is an offsite, online data backup system that is fully automated. No more trying to remember to burn your data to CD once a week or copying your important files to a thumb drive. Carbonite works in the background and automatically backs up your data as you generate it. It can run once a night or constantly back up new files as you create them. Carbonite offers unlimited storage for only $54.95 per year! Would you pay $54.95 to recover your data if you lost it all due to hard drive failure? If the answer is yes, then don’t delay; get yourself protected today by clicking here.

Internet Explorer 8 has just arrived! Should you upgrade? You should if you currently use Internet Explorer for your web browser. Alternatives to Internet Explorer (IE) are Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Chrome. Internet Explorer and Firefox have a combined 90% market share.

Reasons to upgrade really include just one main reason: security. Older browsers are not supported well, if at all, and are more vulnerable to attacks via websites you visit. Even common websites such as MySpace and CNN have been attacked by hackers who hide code inside the popular website that attacks visitors who are not protected.

If you currently use Internet Explorer, you can upgrade free-of-charge to version 8 by visiting Windows Update. Go to http://update.microsoft.com and click on “Express.” If you do not currently have it, you should see it in the list of high-priority updates. Click on “Install Updates” to apply the latest patches and software upgrades to your computer. If you need help upgrading and/or protecting your computer, please contact Oval Solutions for a free, no-hassle, no-obligation estimate.