Antivirus firewall software has been designed to identify virus computer programs and isolate them or delete them from your computer.

However, virus programs are not the only computer nasty you should fear.

Here are 5 of the main threats. Does your antivirus firewall software have the ability to tackle each of these?

1: Malware is short for malicious software. It is software created to get into your computer system and create damage, or to infiltrate your stored information...without you knowing about it. An example could be a malicious program installed that copies your keystrokes when you enter login details to your online bank account.

Malware is becoming prevalent with detection becoming harder every day due to the sophistication of programming. It is very popular with organized internet crime gangs.

Malware doe not spread like virus programs and only top quality antivirus firewall software can identify the programs and their location.

2: Adware, otherwise known as advertising supported software. This automatically downloads or plays and displays advertisements after the software has been installed on your computer or while a certain application is being used.

3: Spyware, closely related to adware, spyware could also be a type of malware because it is installed on computers automatically without the users consent. It harvests or collects information without the knowledge of the user. This is then passed on to the software creators who may use it fo their own gains. A keylogger is a type of spyware, which monitors your keystrokes while accessing certain websites.

4: Worm or computer worm, is a self replicating program that is found mainly on network comuter systems. It makes copies of itself and sends these to other computers on the network. Antivirus firewall software should be kept up to date and ensure the firewall settings are set to 'on'.

5: Botnet, or software robots, also called just 'bots''. These are programs that run on their own and automatically. Usually an infected computer becomes a 'zombie' under the control of a 'bot master' who controls all of the 'zombie' machines. This allows the infected machine to be controlled by an external entity, usually to send out tons of spam and it is very difficult to trace who the 'bot master' is.

These are just a few of the many types of internet nasties lurking everytime you log on.

The best cure is prevention which starts with diligence and the best antivirus firewall software you can buy.