Will keeping the internet connected 24/7 get viruses?

Question

If my norton is up to date will it hurt to leave the internet connect 24/7? I always right click the connection icon & disable the connection, for fear of getting a virus while the computer is connected. Is this neccessary? I figure they come up with new viruses everyday so the scanner can't keep up....

Answer 1

As long as you have a firewall, anti-virus (with automatic updates on) and use a limited account you should be ok.

If you use a router to connect to the internet then it should have a built in hardware firewall which gives you permanent protection, you also need a software firewall to monitor outgoing connections.

Comodo Pro is one of the best firewalls avaliable and is completely free from http://www.download.com/Comodo-Firewall-...

I have my internet on about 12 hours a day with no problems.

Answer 2

just be careful

my iMac has been on for 3 years. No problems.

Answer 3

I agree w/ Soccer Dave.  Make sure you have a good firewall.  A hardware firewall is best since it completely hides your PC from the internet (ie: nobody can find your computer from the internet, therefore, they can't hack into your system).  

If you want to test your firewall (either software or hardware one) go to the "shields up" website.  This guy (a security genius!) has a free website that tests your firewall's effectiveness.  The website is www.grc.com.  Scoll down until you find the link to the Shields Up test.  It's very interesting (and fun to try).

So as long as you have a good firewall, you're all set.  I leave my PC on 24/7 and no problems (as do millions of companies around the world) :-))))