Browsing using FireFox with Adblock+ and NoScript turned on. Running AVIRA free anti-virus. Running Kerio firewall free version. Avoiding every Microsoft product I can (msn, IE, etc .. ) using alternatives instead (Trillian, Opera, ... ) When all else fails, I have an image of my windows partition on DVD-R that can be restored with Ghost in 5 minutes tops.
Jeb - I would point out that all the ISP data proves is that many people do need anti-virus software. Depending how many other layers of security you've got running - and on your practices (particularly what sites you visit) - it's quite possible to not get infected even without it. But, of course, you're always safer with than without, so it's definitely something that anyone should consider - especially since there are good free options available. It's kind of strange to be going over this sort of stuff in a computer "myths" thread, but in case it proves useful, the most effective ways to avoid picking up viruses would probably be: 1) Be careful what sites you visit, and what files you download. If it's suspicious, scan it, or don't download it at all. While you can get infected without doing anything dubious, the vast majority of infections come from sources like the above. 2) If you get an e-mail attachment you weren't expecting, either delete it, or ask the sender if they intended to send it first. E-mail worms still seem to be pretty prevalent these days. 3) Update your software as regularly as you can. Some businesses can't do this as often as they'd like because of fragile software; however, most consumers can, and most infections (that aren't trojan horses, which usually come through the above two sources) are due to vulnerabilities that have already been patched. 4) Anti-virus software is always good to have around. It's possible to work around it, sure, but not for that long - AV vendors will adapt. While AV isn't always effective at picking up new threats, it does work pretty well for old ones, and ... well, most infections are from old threats anyway, if I'm not mistaken. Some things that may help a little, but have less overall effect: 5) If you're using Windows, you might want to consider leaving on the firewall and/or UAC if you can. They don't send you that many alerts in everyday use - just for new software or administration tasks - and they can warn you if a program is trying to do something suspicious. 6) Hardware firewalls can be good for similar reasons. Most broadband connections have NAT routers, which act as effective firewalls for incoming traffic; they don't usually stop outbound traffic though. Turning on DMZ, while it's the easy option for getting some games to work, also runs the risk of exposing something you don't want exposed - but only slightly, as the major vectors for remote hacking use lower-numbered ports which DMZ doesn't touch. Furthermore, remote hacking of this sort is pretty rare these days because firewalls are now everywhere. It's just that it's also one of the scariest possibilities because there probably won't be any warning signs if you've been hit. 7) Minimize your profile. Security through obscurity may not be a conceptually good method, but facing facts - malware authors aren't aiming specifically for you, they're aiming to infect as many people as possible. Therefore, if you use something obscure, chances are not too many people can be bothered writing exploits for it. Using minority software is only one thing you might keep in mind though; it's also important for it to be secure minority software. Therefore, something like Safari probably isn't as good as Chrome or Opera. The candidates for this people tend to focus on are of course the operating system and internet browser. Those aren't the only problem areas though; Flash and Adobe Reader also have a number of vulnerabilities. Adobe Reader incidentally can be replaced; I'm not sure about Flash. (Yes, Silverlight does the same general thing, but it doesn't mean you can display websites that were specifically designed for Flash.) And, yes, IM clients can be prone to this as well.
im suprised this hasnt come up... i was fortunate enough to be born with a fully functioning brain. but i did have fun convincing my less technolgically inclined friends it was true