What does all this really mean?(Virus Stuff)

[FastEddy]

Using a hardware firewall and NAV am I protected?
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-5202236.html?tag=sas.email

 

[Rolex]

Same here, hardware firewall and NAV. I wouldn't be without Norton. I've NEVER had a virus or Trojan horse of any kind, but I have had the Norton banner pop up and warn me that it had detected one in email about a half dozen times.
I do manual downloads on the virus definitions every other day. The other computers do an auto download after start up.
You should be almost ironclad safe, but you can still get something new before Norton has a kill pill for it. Enable 'guard dog' within Norton. This detects certain codes that might potentially be a virus program that's new.

 

[Maxx Trooper]

Rolex- i also run Norton and i have had about 20-30 e-mails pop up that have had a virus attached. its crazy. almost everytime i check my e-mail i got atleast 1 maby 2 viruses but its slowly gotten better. thanks god for norton

later

 

[Rolex]

I had Norton 2000 and 2002. When I got Norton 2003 I installed it in all 3 computers on the same night. The first two (XP Home and 98 SE) went fine. In 98, something went wrong during the installation. The installation is automatic, it's not that I did something wrong. I could not turn on any virus protection within the program. Then I find that the computer could no longer show a thumbnail in Window's Explorer, or run a movie, or even show a file name to insert a photo into an e-mail.
Norton sent me a VERY lengthy process to uninstall and reinstall their program, but had no advice on how to correct the problem.
When I need a .Jpg in it, I need to access the files through my local network.
Just one more warning. Anytime you install a new program, get your files backed up.
Included with Norton is "Go Back". If I had it then, I could have undone the install, and just paid for another year of virus definitions.
Roxio Go Back is in all 3 computers now, and it saved my butt big time, twice already.

 

[Rolex]

FastEddy, if you have Norton System Works installed, open it up, then in the column on the left, click on 'extra features'.
The top item that opens on the right is 'Symantec Security check'.
Click it, and a scan will run for a minute or two from their site, to see if it can find a way into your computer. This is the "sure cure" to know if you are protected.

 

[Nitro_Keebler]

Go to www.grc.com and get probed also. This will show all vulnerabilities on your network and firewall.

I run a hardware router/firewall, software firewall and Mcafee on all systems.

 

[Rolex]

Gibson.....Thanks Nitro_K. That's the other check I wanted him to run, but couldn't remember the site.
I come up as 'Stealth'. I'm non-existent to a hacker.

 

[wdavidhicks]

Most viruses arrive as mass-mailing worms. They require the email recipient to acknowledge or launch an attachment to become infected.

The latest mutants of the Sasser virus can infect your machine if their random IP generator picks your machine. (Much easier if your machine is directly connected through an always-on connection.) If you're behind a router the chances are less likely.

Symantec is pretty quick with their updates. If your always-on machine is there when a virus is new and propagating wildly AND you don't have the latest antivirus updates AND you're not connected through a firewall or a router... look out.

My advice: Get AV software and enable automatic updates

http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sasser.f.worm.html