I leave my computer turned on for long periods. If my browsers are not launched or running, i.e I'm not on the internet, but are connected, am I safe from virus attacks, trojans etc? Or is it better to pull the usb plug (not the tel line) out of my broadband modem?

Just go into network connections and disable your internet connection. When you go back enable.

Thanks for that. I guess what I was asking is it possible to get infected when the browser isn't launched?

Simple answer, If your computer is connected to the internet then you are at risk period!

ok - thanks. I'll do as you suggest.

Pretty much what Biblereader says is true. As long as that machine is "on" the internet, you can be at risk, not so much from Viruses but from intrusion. By default Windows is set up with not security in mind but ease of use. Administrative profiles with *no* password. Of course in Vista this is all changing, and has already been adopted in Linux. Mac OS 10 is gradually catch on too, and hopefully in ten or so years just about all of the systems we civilians use will finally comply to "principle of least privelages" - the practise that many corporate systems had in the bag over 30 years ago.

If you are running Windows, think about what Biblereader said, or maybe even creating a limited account for internet browsing. This alone greatly limits the scope of attack. If on Linux, you just need to run as a normal user and you are pretty much set. Unless you run as root all of the time (big no no) you are pretty much safe already. Mac OS 10 is not as safe as it looks, especially given there is no root password. But same principle applies. Don't run in a privelaged account, so in the case of attack, critical damage can't be done.

Don't forget if you use AntiVirus and all that stuff keep it updated. I tend to stay away from that stuff but I did recently get Defender for XP, which integrates quite nicely.

Hope this helped.

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