Nah, I've had DSL for ages and it takes very little effort to secure yourself. You can use a router and make your computer basically unpingable, basically invisible to a hacker. WIth the addition of a software firewall and a virus checker you are about as secure as anyone can be. You are always going to be as secure as the software you run, but good choices can make a difference there, too. I expect DSL and Cable modem technology to start having router security built in, eventually.

Preaching against broadband is like holding back the tide witha broom. Fewer and fewer people have dialup, and eventually the bleeding edge technology will surpass DSL and it will be cheap enough to be ubiquitous. Right now I can get broadband for what I paid for dialup a few years ago. Why bother dialing?

You can find a lot of good information on security at GRC.

Well yes some of the software out there is excellent and you can almost make your computer invisible. Actually I did forget to put that just turning off your router when not using the Internet is a good idea. There is no sense staying connected to the Internet 24/7 it just really isn't pratical and is an unsafe practice even writters in PC World and PC Magazine agree. I do know that there is a better way of digital communications, but to make it practical and cost efficent to the "average" computer user is I think just being developed. My gripe wasn't so much againt DSL itself more against flaws and weaknesses in the PC world of computers.
MACs are way more secure, but are only just stating to get better with the programs they have. They just recently got better office programs and somme others. The newest MAC system is a little faster than the Petium 4 computer. However the fastest good chip right now is in the Athlon chip field. Since the chips are constantly changing I do not know the newest chip. MACs suck at games and gaming that is their major drawback. The best bet for a really good "gaming" computer is to build your own there is a lot less expense that way. I do not use my computer for play games a lot, so my needs for that type of technology is not there. As far as cost of DSL virus dial-up where you are and what ISP you go through may be cheaper than what is availible where I'm at. Right now I pay the same amount for 5 months of dial-up as the average cost of DSL is for 2 months of service. I'm on a very tight budget and money is tight so I have to get what I can afford for a years service of Internet.

In most cases for home users, if you have Earthlink or SBC DSL, it's PPPoE, so it's pretty much "dial-up" DSL. You have to connect to it when you want to use it. It is not an "always on" connection. You may be able to pay more and get a static IP, but in most cases the least expensive connection from these providers is PPPoE.

That does not mean you should not have a hardware or software firewall *and know how to use it*. You should still take all the precautions any computer user should take: use good anti-virus software, update and scan regularly; use a hardware or software firewall (note that many routers have firewalls built in); get the updates for your OS and apply as appropriate, etc.

True I just had my computer totally upgraded then right after that it somehow got a virus even though the guy just installed the newest version. The virus effected the whole boot sector of my drive and the guy accidentally lost everything. Thank goodness I had the software for the most inportant programs I use so reinstalling everything wasn't much a problem but a royal pain. The guy was real nice about it and gave me a break and fixed it up so everything was running ok. The upgrade cost way more then his fixing the virus boo-boo and both ways I know I got a good deal. I'm constantly geting updates so that is a good thing.