>Thank you to everyone who answered my question.
>
>This morning, I stopped by the store where I bought my pc, to ask their
>technical guys about the virus problem.  I needn't have worried.
>Fortunately, when I got my computer, I got a quality machine that doesn't have
>this defect.  It turns out that only computers that have a serious fault
>in the
>software are capable of being infected by one of these viruses, what the
>technical boys referred to as 'junker' pc's. Apparently, the market is awash
>with them, so be warned if you are thinking of buying.
>
>Once again, it seems that you get what you pay for.
>
>Andy.

These salespeople are utterly ignorant. Any system running a version of
Windows is vulnerable to many kinds of attack.

Besides the measures Dr. Alpigini suggests, if you use a cable modem, you
must set up a personal firewall to prevent systemic attacks on your
computer over the always-on cable modem. I use Black Ice, which alerts me
to such probes and attacks. They happen three or four times a day, as
hackers all over the world troll for system information, PCAnywhere access,
open ports, and consumer ecommerce data.  Black Ice intercepts such attacks
and logs the relevant data so carriers can see who is using their
infrastructure for such purposes.

Because the public at large has yet to understand the seriousness of this
threat, there is suspicion that thousands if not millions of personal
systems have already been infected with "sleeping" software that can be
awakened remotely and used for crime or cyberterrorist attacks on other
systems.

Please don't underestimate this threat, and if you are considering cable
modem service, please protect yourself, and by extension, others too.

Mike