pax, let's look at Point 1 in your post.
1) I'm aware of the need for good Anti-Virus Software and a Firewall,but I would be grateful for advice as to which facilities to disable in W98 that may present security weaknesses. I have Norton Anti-Virus 2000 which is kept up to date and Zone Alarm Firewall. I have not found the Norton Software straightforward to install and update and would be interested on your thoughts about alternatives. In fairness it may not be the software at fault-my computer is so old and slow,that if it did have a label it would probably say "Mr.Babbage's Difference Engine".
When you say alow - HOW slllllooooooooooooooowwww is it? I assume it's a PC, so is it a Pentium/Pentium II? The installation from Symantec software is typically good in my opinion so when you say it wasn't I was surprised. As to alternatives well there are quite a few, some freeware, some sharewar and most "pay top whack" ware.
ZdNet has reviewed some,
www.zdnet.com
In my experience Norton Anti Virus or Dr Solomans is the best scanner, however, Dr. Solomans has been sold to McAfee and now I don't think it is as good as McAfee has been known to blue screen Windows machines because the lastest Virus pattern contains a bug or two.
As far as the Zone Alarm is concerned,when I do a security check from
www.grc.com the report says that my computer is "invisible" to roaming hackers. However,when I run what I assume to be an identical test from the Symantec/Norton site it announces that my browser is vulnerable to unwanted attention. (I paraphrase). Are the tests of an entirely different nature,or is it a case of professional jealously on the part of Symantec ie:you're using somebody else's Firewall and not ours.(Yes,I'm afraid the forces of cynicism are taking hold).
The answer is yes and no. I run Norton Personal Firewall at home and it is over protective in my opinion - I'm forever creating a rule to allow this and that to communicate with the Internet - however, some of the communications I refuse such as WebEnhancer trying to send my browsing information to there website!!!! - after I realised Webhancer had managed to install itself onto my PC I soon deleted it!
Although I have never used a Personal Firewall testing site I have got this
link to an article that reviews many of the vendors. See what you think.
This is the
McAfee personal firewall test (I haven't used it - I'm behind a Corporate Firewall).
[ 03 September 2001: Message edited by: What_does_this_button_do? ]