Now might be a good time to repost these edited tips for PC users doing internet banking. Acknowledgements go out to those who contributed to the original thread.
1) be sure to have up-to-date antivirus software - check for new virus definitions regularly - every time you use your pc if possible (not more than once in a day though........)
Take the time to know how to update the software. New viruses are being released almost every hour of every day.
if you use symantec antivirus, this page:
you could consider: Eset NOD32 Anti-Virus - "The only virus checker to have detected every 'in the wild' virus in the Virus Bulletin Independent Tests since May 1998."
2) make sure your PC is free of spyware - software that monitors your internet usage and feeds the results to an external site. You can scan it with free software from lavasoft called "ad-aware se"
3) patch your pc using windows update (windowsupdate.microsoft.com) to install security patches (turn automatic updates on if you have XP)
4) be sure to have a firewall (built into windows xp but only enabled by default with XP SP2)
5) don't open e-mail attachments which you are not expecting - some viruses can pretend to be from someone you know so if a screen-saver appears to have been sent by a mate - be careful - it may be a virus.
I, and many others, used to consider JPEG files as safe - not any more.
A recent hack embeds viruses into jpeg pictures - run windowsupdate to be sure to get the tool for checking for this vulnerability (GDI+ detection tool -
6) be careful installing free software. Kazaa (file sharing software) is full of spyware. As are many other shareware programs. Check the background to any shareware program. Avoid where possible.
7) DO NOT use the Administrator (or equivalent privileged) account for your day to day activities. [windows XP / windows NT]