With malware, viruses and phishing scams lurking in innocuous places, you don’t want to browse the Internet without adequate protection. Fortunately, a plethora of companies, from McAfee to Microsoft, provide free or paid access to robust antivirus and Internet-security tools. Before you start shopping online or saving your passwords in your browser, activate the Internet security suite (such as Norton Antivirus) that comes preinstalled on your Windows 8 laptop or, if your notebook doesn’t have such a tool preloaded, download one online.

If you’re a spendthrift (or a very security-savvy user), Microsoft offers a free antivirus utility called Windows Defender that provides enough protection to keep you safe from low-grade malware.

On the other hand, if you’re worried about accidentally opening infected email attachments or clicking suspicious links, you’ll most likely want to shell out a little extra dough for a full-featured, paid suite from such companies as Kaspersky or Symantec Norton. These can screen email attachments and steer you away from infected websites.

More: How to Search the Web Faster in Windows 8