Chicago Tribune Ask Jim column.

By James Coates, Chicago Tribune Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jul. 17--USING INSTALLED ANTIVIRUS WARE IS EASIEST COURSE: QUESTION: I have just acquired a laptop and have questions regarding security.

What should I do about possible virus attacks and other hacker problems? I get confusing offers of Norton firewalls and anti-spam protections and pop-up stoppers and so on. My last computer had McAfee antivirus and I didn't worry about this issue. Now that I have a new machine I need some advice.

--Ian Ostergard, Chicago

ANSWER: It rankles a bit to urge you to agree to the Norton AntiVirus update subscription after the Norton software loaded on your computer by the manufacturer expires, but that's what I would do, Mr. O.

If you prefer your former antivirus outfit then by all means go to www.mcafee.com and download McAfee antivirus and subscribe to their automatic update of new virus countermeasures. Both companies have large programming staffs that continually seek out new viruses and then create antidotes for them.

It actually is possible to just wait until you get hit with a virus and then go to the Web sites of companies like these and download the new fix that surely will …