re "as a private person, save your money. Each virus scanner *MUST* know the
pattern (fingerprint) of a virus. If the scanner don't know it, then the
scanner is "blind"."
While it is true that a virus scanner is blind until it knowns the pattern
of a new virus, virus checkers are far from a waste of money. As long as the
pattern for a new virus is installed on your system before the new virus
arrives, the checker will be effective in preventing infection. Of course,
bad luck may make you one of the first infected, in which case a virus
checker will not protect your system. But most anti-virus software companies
manage to quickly obtain samples of every new virus and emit patterns within
24 hours -- this was the case with CodeRed and Nimda, to cite recent
examples. Several anti-virus companies provide a service whereby your
scanner will automatically download new patterns as they become available,
further improving the chances that your system will be innoculated before
the new virus appears in your mailbox.
As with their biological counterparts, the best way to prevent viral
epidemics is to reduce the population of vulnerable organisms. If you're
going to operate a computer that communicates via email or other electronic
protocol, then you're responsible for maintaining it's security; failure to
do so threatens all systems, not just yours.
Virus checkers are far from perfect -- because they need up-to-date
patterns, and because they can adversely impact the performance of some
applications. But along with good hygiene, they are presently our best
defense.
73,
Dave, AA6YQ
(not affiliated with any anti-virus software company)
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