Jim -- Don't worry about the jargon, the first thing you can do is reduce the size of target you exhibit, in your case using Firefox does a lot. Something like Window '95 old Internet Explorer and Outlook provides a Grizzly Bear size target, using the latest Windows OS/Explorer/Outlook/Messenger takes you down to a fox size. Windows but assiduously avoiding Microsoft tools, so Firefox/Thunderbird/GoogleTalk and your down to dormouse. Of course to display a target the size of a fly you need to be on a Macintosh (which I'm not) or Linux.

The target size is fundamentally a reflection of the amount of effort put into breaking the technologies. And the effort goes into the popular choices, it pays not to go with the crowd.

Once you've sized your target it is really important not to then place yourself in the firing line. Here are some tips. To be honest I am amazed at what people are willing to do to encourage malware on to their computer.

Use AVG, Spybot, etc but remember that technical advancements in malware is happening faster the development of tools to spot and remove.

If AVG and Spybot find anything other than cookies on your computer then question everything you do on it because you are dancing around in the line of fire -- the malware didn't get there on its own.

Simon