Kaspersky's "Malware Evolution: July - September 2006"

In "Malware Evolution: July-September 2006", Kaspersky reported:

"There wasn’t a single significant epidemic during this period, although of course the antivirus industry waited for August with bated breath. This was more a matter of tradition than because of any real threat; for the past three years, August has always brought a major virus epidemic."

True there wasn't a "Bagel" or similar epidemic. However, the onslaught of codec (Zlob) infections has certainly not slowed down. The report does stress the showings of "vulnerabilities" over viruses, particularly those vulnerabilities tied to Microsoft Office.

This is the primary reason to ensure that your system is always kept up to date with the latest security patches. That includes your anti-virus software as well as having at least a software firewall installed.