Windows XP users face end to Microsoft support

[cprise]

57. I should also point out

...that isolating the computer is also an effective way to deal with a malware threat. But this also relies on physical control over the machine:

On Thinkpad laptops and a couple other brands there is a switch (usually called "airplane mode&quot that physically deactivates the wireless hardware in the laptop. So if you don't have a wired network plugged into it, you can keep the laptop from continuing to upload information or attacking other computers in the vicinity.

On Macbooks (and most other Windows laptops) you tell the wireless cards to turn off through software commands using the keyboard or pointer. So, again, there is no assurance that an infected/hacked computer won't simply pretend to turn wireless off just as it can pretend to shut down.