So far, the only recourse has been to install a posse of security software--firewalls, virus and spyware scanners, spam filters, and the like. But I've yet to find a security suite that doesn't nag me constantly, bog down my PC, or cost buckets of money to keep updated. Even then, few suites can keep up with the latest zero-day exploits.

You have a better way to protect your PC: Hire someone to monitor your Internet traffic and weed out the bad stuff for you. Called "managed security," it's how enterprises keep their networks safe from hackers, malware, and other Net nasties. Now managed services are becoming available for consumers.

@Your Service?

"My mother doesn't want to have to worry about viruses and spyware, she just wants her computer to work," says Bruce Schneier, security guru and author of Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World (Copernicus Books, 2003).

Outsourcing security to an ISP or other third party is the only practical way to keep up with Net threats that change by the hour, Schneier says. Most big ISPs provide free security suites with their broadband packages, and some, like EarthLink, go a step further, supplying a site where users can find news on the latest threats and employ a wizard to identify potential PC vulnerabilities. However, ISPs have yet to offer enterprise-level security services to individual customers.

One reason, says EarthLink senior product manager Ben Kaplan, is that users themselves may be reluctant to give up control over their Web experience in order to surf more safely.

That in turn may be because managed security is still unfamiliar to most people. Last year Microsoft introduced the first consumer-oriented service, Windows Live OneCare. For $50 a year, the applet will scan up to three PCs for viruses and spyware, manage Windows updates, control Net access for applications, and back up your files.

It's slick and painless (two things that I never thought I would say about a Microsoft product). But so far few consumers have signed on, says John Pescatore, vice president for Internet security at the Gartner research firm.

Security for Free

As more services arrive, that situation will likely change. By the time you read this, PCLive Security Services will be available for free (though 24/7 support will cost $4 a month). You'll still have to install the software locally, but PCLive manages the rest, keeping everything updated, including Windows patches. While it's not a fully managed service, it's a big step in the right direction.

"Security software is too daunting for the average user to maintain," says Bob O'Dell, CEO of PCLive's parent company SecurityCoverage, which provides security services for 240 regional ISPs. "You shouldn't have to become a technologist to keep your PC safe."

He's right. And as managed security makes it easier for everyone to protect their PCs, we'll all be able to surf more safely, without being devoured by the dark side of the Net.