PhilC "minimum protection"; these days I would recommend Zone Alarm (freebie) or Sygate (freebie) for minimum protection but only minimum for dial ups. DIGITAL connections should have a regular full firewall set up and networks definatly go with hard ware. Most of the pings are just random from various sources but many are also just some board hacker looking for.....? I work now for an Internet Co. and have been on line since before public ISP accesses, only about thrice can I remember an actual "envasion" and only because he was still attached when I tried to log off (using dial-up). Zone Alarm will also inform you of programs 'in your machine' trying to report out....definatly these days everyone should at least use a freebie if for nothing else, 'Piece of Mind & A Little Knowledge'. But of course, for Maximum Protection.....just don't log on..nuff said.