Whether you received a new computer as a gift from Santa, or you bought it yourself, now is the perfect time to secure it before you begin surfing the Internet.

A brand new computer is usually as clean a slate as you are ever going to get when it comes to having a system that is malware-free, unless by some rare chance it was pre-infected with malware. If you want to keep your computer safe then you need to configure it with the proper mix of applications and security settings so that it doesn't become infected with malware.

So you've got your new computer up and running and you've connected it to your network, what's next?

Let's go over some steps to help you secure your new computer:

1. Download and Install Operating System Updates

Before you start browsing the Internet, open up your operating system's OS update checker: "Windows Update" for Microsoft Windows, or "Software Update" for Mac OS. Be sure to download and install all the updates that pertain to your version of operating system. These updates are important as they may resolve both performance and security-related issues.

2. Install Security Patches and Browser Updates

In addition to OS updates, many of the applications you use frequently may have security patches available. It's especially important to make sure you update applications that you use frequently to download and view content from the Internet (i.e. Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Flash, etc). Most applications will feature an update checker in either their "Help" or "Tools" menu.

Make sure you have downloaded the latest and greatest version of your web browser as well.

You'll want to learn about your browser's security features and enable the important ones. Check out About.com's Browser Site to learn more.

3. Install Antivirus / Antimalware Software and/or Updates

Your new computer may have come with an antivirus or antimalware application as part of the software suite that was pre-installed out-of-the-box. You will want to make sure that this software is able to connect to the Internet so that it can download the latest antimalware definitions file. If it is unable to download definitions, then it will not be able to scan for the latest threats. You'll also want to make sure that it is set to frequently check for new updates.

You may also want to consider installing a second opinion malware scanner to act as a second line of defense, should your primary scanner fail to recognize a threat (this happens more often than you think it would).

4. Configure Your Operating System's Firewall or Install a 3rd-party Firewall

Part of your security strategy should be to make sure you have some sort of network firewall in place. Most operating systems feature a free built-in firewall. You can also install a 3rd-party firewall if you require more functionality than the built-in OS firewall provides. You should test your firewall periodically to make sure that it's working properly.

5. Establish a Plan and Method for Backing Up Your Data

After everything is installed, updated, and secured, you'll want to establish a backup plan and method so that you can protect your personal data, should the new computer ever fail you, or in case malware gets a hold of your system and causes problems.

You'll want a multi-pronged backup strategy so that you don't have all your data eggs in one proverbial basket. Consider using both optical or hard drive disk-based backup, augmented with a secured and encrypted cloud-based storage medium as a secondary backup method.