In this day and age we find ourselves dealing with some of the most complex computer threats ever derived by man.

Some of the more popular ones ( i love you,melissa,nimda,and code red ) were pretty lame however were found to be very effective on those boxes with out adequate virus and trojan protection. Most machines that were effected by these threats did not even have a firewall running. ( black ice,zone alarm,etc..etc.. )

When critical data is lost and/or destroyed by a threat it not only makes the ISPs edgy but shuts doors on the internet that in another case would be wide open to legitimate computer users. Know this, a true hacker will not implement the use of a virus of any type to accomplish their task. A true hacker is one who programs and builds works of art that you and I enjoy on a day to day basis. The popular threats ( the ones you hear about ) are launched by lamerz who have no further purpose in life than to tear down what someone else has constructed. Most of the crackers you hear of are very lame,they are not even cracking codes but spending their time stealing software. " Software should be free " well ask yourself this..? You are a programmer who designs software so folks can enjoy the fascinating world of printing pictures and greeting cards. So you design the release..." Would'nt you like to be paid for it? I mean ...you do have a life..don't you? You need to make money too to support yourself or your family. " Next time you gripe about paying for a software release that you enjoy very much..think about the process behind your enjoyment..it all takes money folks.

The most effective protection you can implement is a good firewall and strong updated virus and trojan protection. The threats are only going to get worse and as long as there are those whom wish to harm ones critical data or steal someones software virus...worms and trojans will always be in the making and are most definitely always for sale.- phibreoptic