Yes, you NEED Antivirus

I just spent the last 4 days wrestling with some of the most awful malware imaginable. The PC in question was regularly updated with Windows patches, and had anti-malware software on it as well. The only failure I found was out-of-date anti-virus software.

With the viciousness of the malware coming out, you've got a couple options to avoid getting some nasty on YOUR PC someday:

• You MUST run a firewall. A hardware-based one on a router/switch is best.
• Switch to 64-bit Windows (not perfect, but it makes it HARDER for them)
• Switch to Linux or Mac OS. Neither of these will last forever, but it's better than the alternative. While I haven't switched yet, I'm avidly watching Linux as my desktop of choice for the future.
• Keep your anti-virus UP TO DATE.
  

I really wish the people who wrote this stuff would write some code that was useful to humanity. It would be incredible stuff.