Am I the dumb a$$ of the century?

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DP wrote:
Firewall? I was checking on some things in SysPrefs and noticed the Firewall box is not checked.

That's correct. The default is "off".

I have just presumed that the browsers I've used have all that stuff covered

Browsers have nothing to do with it.

and I have never experienced any issues-no malware, trojans, etc.

No doubt! That's partly because you use a Mac and probably partly because your router is doing the firewalling.

So, should the Firewall be activated in SysPrefs?

Only if you're not using a router or you have disabled the router's firewall or if you're using a portable Mac and take it to places it shouldn't go.

Am I also the luckiest interwebs surfer ever as well as the dumbest?

Yes, probably both.