We are only up to 2.4.5 as of this writing, so that's very up to date. It comes with KDE 2.1.2, the very latest version, and in addition to the firewall from version 7.1, includes an e-mail virus scanner. It also includes a high-level encryption file system for storing personal and confidential information. New and improved sound support is offered, including MP3 and a multi-track editing studio. I will cover these new features in a future column after I evaluate the distribution.
Tomorrow is another day.
Anyone going online today must have a firewall. Whether it's a software or hardware version depends on the amount of security required. I personally use three firewalls. My main firewall is a hardware device that also employs network address translation. None of my computers is directly on the net.