Why security on YOUR desktop matters

The following is from an email by SK that fell into my inbox this morning:

-- quote from email --------------------------

Subject: Why security on YOUR desktop matters

[All facts taken from: http://www.computerworld.com/.../0,10801,97157,00.html]
According to this independant study (and if you'll read it, you may be surprised that I chose to use this one), a third (32.7%) of successful break-ins into computers are against end-users. "The company estimates that worldwide economic damage in 2004 from these intrusions at between $103 and $126 billion." So 32.7% of $126 billion is $41 billion dollars of damage in 2004 alone caused by people like you and Ed who have their computers connected to the Net, but don't use a firewall.
That's putting a number to what I've always said, that it doesn't matter what intruders do to your system, it's what they do WITH your system that affects others, and ignoring that is plain and simple being irresponsible, particular when you're an advanced user who understands the technology. (End users can be more-or-less pardoned for their lack of knowledge... they don't really know what a firewall is most probably think it only applies to corporations.)