Microsoft's security architect, Carl Ellison, far left, wants you to download MS' patches to be safe.

A simple virus can bring any LAN network or PC to its knees in a short period of time, which is rather unhandy when you are in the middle of a fragfest or a hosting a LAN party. Given the hype and scare tactics of software and hardware vendors about what you really need and why, Comdex hosted a panel discussion, entitled "Security: How Much is Enough," which featured higher-ups from Microsoft, Computer Associates and Nokia so attendees could find out what they needed to know.

The answers varied, of course, with Microsoft's Ellison making the straight-faced argument that, by spending the time to download as many as 30 security patches once a month or more, you should be reasonably safe (he didn't mention anything about security routers or other hardware devices THG routinely reviews).

Following the discussion, THG asked one of the panel members what the small- to medium-sized network administrator or the everyday gaming geek who doesn't want to have his or her system disabled by a virus really needed. "The bottom line is that you are [expletive], unless you want to spend a lot of money," said Bruce Schneier, CTO and founder of Counterpane. "It's still the Far West."

But you can still download security patches from Microsoft's website if you want to.