When I had a PC, I used PC-cillin.  I loved it because it checked for
updates everytime I went online when I was on dial up. Once I went to
DSL, it constantly checked. I never had a virus and it also checked and
quarantined any email with virus attachements.  I always recommended it
to people.

BTW, if you think you might have a virus, the PC-cillin website has an
online doctor you can use to see if you have one, and if you do it will
clean it for you. It's called House Call.  Their site is at
http://antivirus.com

Now I have a Mac and there are no worries :)

Carole :)

 > I may need to knock on wood, but I keep my Norton up-to-date each time

2005-09-05, Responding to Navy1...

To "get" a virus (often actually little more than an exploit
of a M$ operating system's continuing crapness ;) you need
to download it, and then activate it.

This is easy with WinDOHs as the browser is integrated into
the systemss primary functions, including the Explorer
components of the file managment mechanisms. With no
effective file-permission capacity to protect all the files
that make up the "system", once something is active, it has
unrestricted access to virtually every part of the system.

When you add all those built-in auto-this and auto-that
functions (many of which do things without asking you, or
even letting you know that they are doing something), you
have a paid-up ticket to zombie-town.

The best way to avoid such events is, as you suggest here,
to break the link in the chain between delivery and
activation of malicious code. Step one is of course to avoid
allowing it into your system in the first place, and filters
are a good way to start. Coupled with programs that cannot
be recruited into "performing" also helps, like using a
plain-text only Email proggie, and similar newsgroup
software, dumping Active-X (a HUGE security hole), not
allowing Java etc. all help to reduce that list of routes
into your system.

Of course, non of this is worth a damn if the system these
programs work within is riddled with holes itself.

A firewall can also help, but it has to work independant of
the operating system. For instance, XP's "firewall" is
simply an incoming filter, and limited in what it will
filter too. If something nasty gets into your system, and
accesses all those non-secured files including your system
binaries etc. then it has free range to "send out" via
almost any method it chooses, and can download all the
"extras" it needs to complete it's "tasklist".

Then you have the ever growing list of spyware programs.
some declare their intent to transmit your data to locations
unknown (read the EUA, in depth!) and some will "collect"
the extra bits they need to "set up camp" in your system as
you use them.

Several (most) major software companies use "phone-home"
loopholes (that you agreed to on installation, wether you
knew it or not) that exploiters can recruit to give them
access to at least a regular scan of your system that you
may never know happened, the data from which may be sold on
to others who have their own uses for it, including sneaking
in spyware and zombie control bugs for later use, maybe a
DoS attack where you will be the one(s) the traces lead back
to and so on..

Securing your system is an ongoing process of learning
really. As has been said, security is not a "solution", its
a practice.

Step-1 Don't download the stuff

Step-2 Don't activate it

Step-3 Don't run unsecurable software.

2005-09-05, Responding to Harvey R. Stone...

Ok... so thats the computer bit...

Ok... so thats the terrorist bit...

Not sure how you've connected them into one concept here?

2005-09-05, Responding to Don Kirkman...

Not bad, not bad at all. Now all you need is a securable
operating system to run it all on. ;)

Interestingly enough, the Linux Kernel (at least the default
form 99% of distros) comes with a serious firewall
capability already built in at the root of the system.
(Search "iptables") Half the internet is protected by this
or similar. There is no WinDOHs equivalent BTW. :(

Then there are those lovely file permissions. If it ain't
your file, you don't get to see it. If you don't have
permission to use it, prepare to be logged (and refused).
Again, no WinDOHs equivalent.

Oh the fun never stops! :)

Have fun. ;\