You also can install and enable the Windows Critical Update Notifier tool available on the same page, which will alert you when new updates are available for you to install. For an easy security fix of your browser, Microsoft recommends upgrading to IE6 but provides hotfix support for IE5.5. If something goes wrong, your data could be lost.
Many viruses come as attachments to email.
Text of interest to you can be a problem. Check with your system adminstrator about whether the files you share are clean. Contacting computing support within your department is usually the best place to start if you are having problems. The CERT advisory Web page on Nimda offers more detailed information for both individual users and support people, as well as links to other resources. Just click on the survey link at the bottom of the Libraries Web page .