Software Firewalls/Virus Scans - are they worth it?

[ewright]

Hello all! Sorry about the lengthy post, but I've gotta know...

I've been reading a lot about firewalls and internet security and such lately, and after going through it all I still wonder - is it worth all the fuss?

I do a lot of processor-intensive work on my computer, and I absolutely *hate* having background programs/services running.
Software firewalls, real-time virus scanners, real-time spyware monitors and other such programs running in the background can gobble up resources like there's no tomorrow, and for what? I've never used realtime virus monitors or software firewalls or anything like that, and I've never had any trouble...unless you count the "Stoned" virus that infected about 75% of my 5 1/4 floppies back in my Commodore 64 days!

The point is, I've got enough computer savvy and common sense to keep myself out of trouble (usually), and I do a virus/spyware scan once a week just to be sure. Other than that, I would think the only threat would be people directly "attacking" my PC. I'm using a Linksys BEFSR41 Router which apparently has a built in firewall, so I should be covered...but I read about some people who go absolutely security nuts with software firewalls and hardware firewalls and filter this and filter that and it's a wonder that there's anything left to transmit or receive by the time the data gets from one end to the other!

Is it entirely likely that there's someone sitting at a desk somewhere with my IP address scribbled on a post-it-note chuckling to himself and saying "You're next, sucker!", or are the odds more-or-less in my favour?

[Daeymon]

If you have a router, you dont need a firewall. I only use virus scans if I download something from an untrusted site or Kazaa. You really dont need a virus scan running in the background if you dont download anything or if you dont use outlook as your email handler. If you do want constant virus protection that doesnt bog down resources then I reccomend Panda Antivirus.

[lewis]

I'm using a Linksys BEFSR41 Router which apparently has a built in firewall

Yes it has a built in firewall. You should take a moment to properly set it up properly. As for an antivirus, I use nortons, and have at least 5 emailed to me a week. (this is from close friends) It is worth it to lose very little system resource,when you could lose your entire hard drive.

[TAB]

Check out the thread on page 2 -- XP and Firewalls

TAB

[curtybob]

disable HTML in your email client. if you only use text, as far as I know, you don't have to worry about viruses. if you like html e-mail, then don't open attatchments. this will eliminate 95% of the threat. I don't generally leave my antivirus on, either. every now and then, I get spooked, but otherwise I do just like ewright and scan when I feel I need it. usually one or twice a week. I leave my software firewall on, but only because it notifies me when there are a number of e-mails sent, and I like that since I don't leave my AV on. And unless I am broke, I stay away from file sharing. I usually wind up buying what I try anyway.

[ewright]

5 e-mail viruses per week?! I've heard of worse than that too...

This may come as a shock to you all, but I've been a very active internet user for...it must be seven or eight years now, and I've never once received a virus through e-mail...mind you, I virtually *never* open forwards because I couldn't care less about them, but still...(I'm knocking on my desk as I'm saying this, hoping that vineered fibreboard counts as wood...)

Someone mentioned taking time to properly set up my router, but there doesn't seem to be much to set up other than passthrough filters. Everything works fine - ICQ file sharing aside - with no passthroughs enabled, so I figured I'd just leave it at that. The only bust is that I have to use the routers DMZ hosting mode if I want to play online games or send files through ICQ, which - as I understand it - enables *all* of the passthroughs.