Firewalls also keep hackers from communicating with Trojan horse viruses, which allow hackers to break in if one is on your system. Simply load the program, adjust the settings for your computer and leave it on all the time. The program should automatically load every time you start your system. The program will block and log each hacker attack and the intruder's I.P. so you can report the attacks to your Internet service provider. BlackIce can be set to sound an audible visible alert or show a visual prompt each time an attack occurs.
People often turn the alerts off because attacks happen so often that the alerts get unnerving.
With all the viruses out there I would rather delete a nonvirus message than take the chance. Des Moines A. Simply reading the text of an e-mail message does no harm. It's the attachments that cause problems. E-mail programs allow you to attach files, such as digital pictures or audio files, to messages. When you open the file attachment, you launch the virus.