Sion said:
Today my ISP sent me a warning about the new virus Nyxem.
To the digital photographers the computers are as important as the cameras.
What are the safeguards you take to protect your computer?
If your digital pictures are that important then it makes sense to own two computers. The one you use for your digital photography you NEVER use for internet access at all. If you want to email the picture to someone online, simply cast to CD or some removable media and transfer it to the other computer and email from there. Sounds dractic and as crazy as some of the creative ideas "offered" here heheh
I use a somewhat similar method but on one PC. I do my DTP, graphic and digital photo editing on my home PC but when I want to go online, email or ftp..etc, I simply shut down my PC, remove my hdd and put in my other hdd and reboot and go online. What that means is I have two "C" drive each with their own XP OS. The one I use for my design work is exclusively just for designing work software only. And the other will have setup internet access and other stuff. The one positive thing about this set up is not just that the "design hdd" is almost immune against virus attack and also as it only have the bare programs, it boots fasts!, works smooth and snappy since very little startup programs comes online in the background unlike my "internet access hdd". All it cost me is another hdd and purchasing the hdd harness that allow you remove exchange hdd using one of your 5.25" front bay on your computer casing. And there is also my notebook which I can plug to the net if I want to do my design work while I access the net for one reason or another.
The virus, spyware and spam situation will not improve. These day just visiting some unrated site will already infect your system. Hackers are getting more creative with new ways to enter your system. Buggy OS or secret hidden backdoors that hackers finds out and take advantage...etc Just one anti-virus and maybe 1-2 spam/spyware programs installed in your computer are STILL not enough to keep your system safe....not on a long run anyway. Too many new ones are program that slips through the AV's detection net. Till something better comes along, I am sticking to a 2 PC or 2 hdd method hehe....
To be frank, in these day and age, it would be a hundred time more likely you get hit by a spam ware and then a spy ware then a virus. This is becasue there is a more profitable market to be had for this code writers then to destroy your machine. If it was a malious virus attack, it is usually personal and more likely someone you offended or come across while surfing. Others really just want to set your PC up to spam others. Ihave yet to have a virus attack in the last 8 yrs on any of my systems including my company's network. It is about being more careful and not do silly things esepcially with opening emails. Which is still rated one of the highest reason for virus or spy ware attacking one's system.
But I would not mind keeping two tangerines next to my PC too heheh might be handy with its vitamin C...I do hear some virus are afraid of it! heheheh.