Securing that crummy $99 PC just got harder

Whether or not it’s worth spending much on securing a new PC these days is a good question. After all, you can readily purchase a decent computer for under $400, from outlet stores, and a usable one for as little as $99 (plus $99 shipping).

However, spend a little time on a computer these days and you’ve probably given up enough information to aid your identity theft, without PC security. Even if you could throw away your PC every few months, you still have to secure it, if you want peace of mind.

A month ago, I purchased WindowsLiveOneCare, but I have yet to install it; my faith in Microsoft is unsteady, wavering. I tend to believe those Mac/PC commercials, where the Mac user tolerates the windows user, who keeps rebooting himself. Yet, I don’t want to surrender to a Mac world; I have too much work and a bunch of useless knowledge tied up in my windows software; there just isn’t time time to switch to Ubuntu or Mandrake Linux.
Next week, Microsoft will release two updates for Windows (rating: important) and one update for Microsoft Office (rating: Critical), and an updated Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. It seems ironic that some of us spend more money on security than on our computers themselves and even sillier, to spend more time securing our computers than using them to get our real work done.