I am a novice as to the technical side of computers. On the recommendation of a friend, I use TrendMicro. As far as I can tell, it's doing okay. Popular names seem to be McAfee and Norton. Any comments? Thanks.

I first read about TrendMicro in "PC Magazine" because I was like you. That was when the Companies I worked for used Norton. All of them are acceptable if one avoids porn sites and other pitfalls. Whichever you choose, update it frequently... usually it's free. That is important as security threats are constantly evolving.

A follow-up question, please, to rsain2004:

(Admin. please excuse. I won't get into a buncha dialogue with another user here.)

What is the relationship to the security system and "porn sites and other pitfalls." I need a bit more on that to understand what you are saying.

Thanks.

Search "internet security" for expert advise. What I know is: some sites are more likely to have "nasties" in them, and one should never open an e-mail from some one unknown. The bad sites seem to be related to baser human drives: Sex, gambling, dating, and so-on. Avoiding those is key to avoiding viruses and cookies which can compromise ones' privacy and computer. On the 'net, only go where it's clean, and you'll never have dirty feet.

Thanks, I have received a lot of emails with offers to improve certain aspects of my life. I don't know how I got on that kind of lists in the first place.

I have changed ISP's and that has helped tremendously. When I finish with the old ISP and terminate there, I won't even have to run the click and delete operation there anymore.

I don't want dirty feet--or mind--or heart.

It seems we get on bad lists because hackers steal address books, employee lists, and any kind of customer or member list they can get, and sell them to unscrupulous people. Those generate e-mails to millions of people, hoping for that one "fish" which will "bite". It costs them next to nothing, and if the "fish" is a big one, much money can be made...