There is no reason you can't put a firewall on your machine before actually
connecting it to the internet.  When I do have occasion to reformat
machines, that is how I do it.  I keep a cd handy with Kerio Personal
Firewall (free) that I install before I even put the network cable in to
the machine (or dial in to the internet)



Tony Mayer


>> Some news accounts say you can become infected, hacked,
>> or compromised in as little as 15 minutes on the Internet.
>>
>
>I can attest to that!!  It happened to me in less than 15 minutes
>online.  I'd reformatted and had to go to Windows update before I could
>even re-download my firewall and virus protection.  In the time it took
>to do that, I was infected with a virus.  It was literally shocking.
>
>I don't know what I'm going to do the next time I reformat, which I need
>to do here shortly, since I have Windows 98SE.   It's not even enough to
>have CDs of your firewall and virus protection, if you have an outdated
>OS like Win 98, because you can't use those CDs without the Windows
>updates!   (Which takes hours to download.)  Any suggestions?  (Well,
>other than getting a new computer with a new OS, which I can't do,
>because I am disabled with Multiple Sclerosis and live on a meager
>disability income and can barely afford the computer and Internet
>service I have......don't know when I'll ever get a new computer.
>That's why I joined this group, hoping to update the one I've got, but a
>lot of that seems to be over my head, I hate to admit.)
>Carol Hanson

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