Q. My wife and I gave our daughter an iPod touch for Christmas. I want to protect my daughter with a firewall, anti-spyware and privacy protection. I am told that Apple products do not get viruses, worms or Trojans. Can you help me?
—Lynn in Lubbock, TX, listening on KFYO 790 AM

A. First off, Apple products are not immune to malware. These days, no computer is completely secure. Security software is available for Apple computers. But you won’t find security programs for the iPhone or iPod touch.

That could change, of course. All it would take is one high-profile attack. Developers would then race security software to market.

Still, the iPhone and touch are more secure than other such gadgets. Why? Apple locks both of them.

So, you can’t download programs from the Net and install them. Software is only available through the iTunes App Store.

Programs in the App Store have been screened by Apple. So, you won’t see malware. Apple weeds it out. Besides, apps can only access specific information on the gadgets.

You can break this protection, however. In that case, you can download and install programs from the Net. This process is called jailbreaking.