>>>I am starting to use MSN Messenger, and heard about virus threats. I heard that a virus can spread through this program without user intervention, which I find somewhat doubtful (I find it more probable that the user in question opened a file on purpose after receiving it). Any knowledge about this issue?
>>>
>>>TIA, Hilmar.
>>
>>Just the usual things a pro would od: Keep a good anti-virus program active in the background all the time, *keep it updated* with the latest vaccines, watch for and *install* the latest security patches, and you shouldn't have any problems. The ones getting killed are the mom's & pops, aunts & uncles, grandmas & grandpas who run Windows right out of the box, naked, get compromised, and become a DoS launching platform without every knowing it, until their box blows up. Unfortunately, there are millions of them.
>>jlk
>
>Thanks. Well, I keep quite up-to-date on antivirus, but not so much on security patches. In this case, IE is probably just as dangerous as MSN Messenger - or scores of other programs. Sigh. I will have to start worrying about this, too.
>
>Am I guessing right, that you try to keep up-to-date with your copy of AdAware, too?
>
>Hilmar.

I'm behind a firewall. We have an Abrahms A1 tank guarding the port! ;-)
jlk