By KARA LOWE

Computer viruses are everywhere on the Internet. Are you prepared?

"Everyone has very powerful communicating capability on their cell phones or in their laps, and, if they're not protected, then bad people can get a hold of your information and can do worse things than identity theft," said Dr. Richard Newman, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Florida.

There is no excuse not to protect a computer. Viruses are extremely common and although virus protection can be expensive, excellent low-cost and free options are available. AVG and Trend Micro anti-virus programs can be downloaded from reliable Web sites such as CNET, MajorGeeks and SourceForge.

Firewalls such as Comodo can also be downloaded for added protection. If users question the legitimacy of a Web site, they should do a background check.

According to Jason Demmi, an IT consultant, in order to prevent attack, computer users should keep their virus definitions and latest operating system patches up to date, run virus scans and install at least one anti-spyware program. Demmi recommends virus and spyware scans be run at least once weekly.

Tim Stroth, associate professor of computer science at Indian River State College, encourages people to make sure they are downloading from a reputable Web site because there are lots of viruses that appear to be anti-viral software when they are actually spyware or viruses themselves.

Unplugging a computer is the only way to ensure it will remain virus-free because all computers are milliseconds apart from each other on the Internet.

Newman said,"The average time for a computer to be attacked after it is connected to the Internet is less than a minute, so it is highly recommended to have virus protection before you even attach it to the Internet."

According to Stroth, e-mail, Web browsing, free downloads and using peer-to-peer file sharing programs are the most common ways to obtain a computer virus. To avoid viruses, being a wise computer operator is critical.

Microsoft offers phishing detection to help determine if a site is malicious, and other programs like AVG offer plug-ins that check if Web sites are safe. Another safety measure is staying on the top two or three pages of your Google or Yahoo search because they are generally safer than subsequent pages.

Search engines accept advertisements from anyone, so users can't always trust search results. The best methods of searching are to look for a company or company name, and see if the item is there.

Above all, the most important defense in protecting one's computer is a responsible user. Computer operators should not open e-mail attachments from people they do not know or unexpected attachments from people they do know.

Demmi said, "If you don't recognize the person, then don't open it. It's not like there's going to be a pot of gold or something."

Computer users should be even more cautious when using their employer's computer because viruses are so widespread. Employees should not open foreign e-mails or click on suspect sites while using the computer.

Rob Carr, director of engineering services for UF's College of Journalism and Communications, spoke to a mass communications class in February on the importance of routine virus checks by comparing them to oil changes.

Carr said,"If you don't change your oil in your car then you're going to end up on the side of the road. The same is true for computers."

If users suspect a computer virus, they should run an anti-viral scan immediately. If the scan turns out negative but programs stop operating, then the computer may be infected with a new virus the program does not recognize.

Newman said,"It is absolutely critical that your computer be protected in a number of ways, as the threat is very significant."