You need a firewall. Either a personal one or a internet device at the cable/dsl
router. There are free ones available for download. If you have file and print
sharing on your computer and are not in a network you should disable/uninstall it
also. Go to http://scan.sygatetech.com/ to check your computer for basic
vulnerability to untrusuted networks. In addition to regular virus scans with an up
top date definition file you should also scan/clean your computer for
spyware/adware/malware. Spybot Search and Destroy would be a good one to use. Also
go to http://windowsupdate.com to make sure that you have all your criticial updates
installed. --- Steve