Very true.

This is the biggest issue, really. Honestly, the only way to truly be safe is to throw out your Ethernet cables and never install your Wi-Fi drivers. You can have plenty of fun playing Solitaire and sweeping mines!

All jokes aside, if you have even an inkling that you could be infected by malware, the only truly safe route is to format the box. Security measures mean nothing when the system has already been compromised. Of course, it's easy for people to let it slide when they have their system configured to their liking and don't want to put the effort into truly resolving the issue.

FTP isn't completely secure, that's a fact. But that lies alongside the real problem: nothing is really secure. If they got your login information for your FTP, they can get your login information for nearly any other application you happen to run. Preparation (fixing security holes as much as possible) and proper resolution (in the case of infection, formatting) are the only ways to truly solve the issue before it progresses into a real problem. That being said, it is true that people should use SSH, if only to add another security measure to the protocol.

I guess it boils down to the fact that it's more important to be safe than to be lazy.

- Kevin @ iGoMogul

Good post -- this is the exact cause of IE's domination in the browser market. Most third-party software has been developed far too long to work directly with IE components. When vendors begin to take the plunge and try to cater a bit more to Firefox, we're sure to see a major change in its usage (especially in the enterprise world).

Of course, the issue remains that many of these distributors work closely with Microsoft, or have been developing applications for IE for years. Convincing an entire company to switch a major component of their business is no simple task. This is especially true when they aren't used to something, even if the change is for the better.

-Kevin @ iGoMogul