[quote author=Happytrails link=board=18;threadid=1181;start=0#msg8219 date=1060898237]
Your best protection is to go to Zonelabs.com and download the free version of their firewall, it's very effective, and free to boot!
[/quote]
ZoneAlarm --
100% recommend. The free version is a bit harder to find on the website than it used to be, but is worth looking for.
If you want to test your system for basic vulnerabilities, I recommend
www.grc.com. Go the the "ShieldsUp" section. It will run a basic "port scan" on your computer to see if anything on your computer is hanging neked out on the Internet.
For "spyware" (tracks where you visit on the Internet) -- AdAware from Lavasoft is also recommend; they have free version that finds it and cleans it up.
Kevin