"Fuzzy Logic" <bob@arc.ab.caREMOVETHIS> wrote in message
news:Xns974276FC98CE9bobarcabca@207.46.248.16...
> "RJK" <notatospam@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:uwgCM7hEGHA.472@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl:
>
>> OH...FOR GOODNESS DAMNED SAKE !!!
>>
>> ...surely there is a SINGLE ...all singing / all dancing - "install it
>> and forget it," ...REALLY, REALLY GOOD
>> ...firewall / anti spy/scum/mal/crap-ware application out there that can
>> do everything for me automatically,
>>
>> ....without having to read through HUMUNGOUS volumes of stuff like :-
>> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...moving_Malware
>>
>> ...don't get me wrong - I'm immesely grateful for the untiring efforts
>> of a large number of decent people out there like
>> David H Lipman, ...and the above hyperlinked site etc.
>>
>> ...but I'd like to use my PC for other things , now and again ! :-)
>> ....without having to spend inordinately huge amounts of time fiddling
>> and tweaking and spyware scanning etc.
>>
>> regards, Richard
>
> The biggest cause of malware/virus infections is the person using the
> computer not the software/hardware they have.
>
> Security is a process not a piece of hardware or software. If you learn
> the security features of your browser/OS and use proper security
> techniques such as not opening unsolicted attachments, keeping your
> software patched and up to date and avoiding malicous web sites you will
> find that you don't need to spend time cleaning up malware/viruses.
>
> FWIW I run my system without a firewall on a high speed connection or a
> real time virus scanner and have yet to have a security incident in the
> MANY years I have run this way. I do regular scans for spyware and viruses
> and have yet to have found even a malicious cookie. I don't recommend you
> run this way with a shared computer, if you have kids, or can't be
> bothered to practice safe hex.

You're very lucky, then. Last spring, I did a reformat/reinstall (XP Pro)
for a friend. The install finished. I walked away for lunch. Came back
later, started IE, and got popup windows all over the place. I'll avoid the
middle of the story, but I found the box was infected with some sort of
crap, and I hadn't visited ANY web sites yet. No installed software other
than XP.