Firstly, the browser you use DOES have an effect on security - IE is insecure. Fact.

Secondly, what you click on DOES have an effect on security - if you think downloading Viruses, Worms and Trojans can’t have an effect on anything else you do online, then I can only assume you’re a clueless IE user severely lacking in any technical knowledge beyond locating the power switch on your PC.

Thirdly, and perhaps your most disturbing response, of COURSE the choice of Firewall/Antivirus makes a difference. A HUGE difference! Do you honestly believe that XP’s built-in chocolate fireguard is more capable of preventing attacks than say, Agnitum Outpost Pro, or ZoneAlarm? How can you be so obtuse?

It’s quite feasable that the particular Malware he downloaded, probably inadvertently via IE, was listening on port 21 for any open connections, then piggybacking that connection to upload files to the web server (located on a different computer far away from where he is, I hasten to add - amazing this interweb thing, eh?). Also, it was probably capable of doing this, since the Malware database for his AV software was not up to date, and therefore went unnoticed.

So, in summary, had he used Firefox instead of IE, the chances would have been reduced that the Malware was downloaded in the first place. Had he not clicked on a suspicious popup, the Malware would not have been downloaded and installed. Had the AV database been up to date, even had the previous two points been ignored, the Malware may very well have been detected and quarantined, and thus been unable to listen o port 21, piggyback an FTP connection to his web server, and upload the miscreant file. Can you see where this is going?

Finally, considering your evident horribly obvious ignorance, your final comment about AIDS doesn’t surprise me. In fact, I’m more surprised that I even graced it with a response.

What can you do to prevent your website from being hijacked?

Unless you are running your website from your home computer then “advice” #1, 2, and 4 are complete nonsense. What browser you use, what you (and a web surfer) click on and what antivirus you use on your home computer has absolutely zip to do with your website which is on a different computer located far from where you are. Evenif you are a virus-infected mess, simply visiting a website wil not infect it.

Perhaps you still beleive you get can get AIDS from a toilet seat too?