2 PCs sharing a DSL line through a Netgear wireless router (128-bit encryption on). The trading PC is wired to the router with: XP Pro (updated with all the latest patches) AVG 7.5 (updated daily) Sunbelt Kerio software firewall (freebie version) Spybot AdAware and a junker PC connected to the router wirelessly for general web surfing by the family. It has nothing worthy to "steal" from it and protected by Kerio and AVG. I practise "safe" computing, i.e. never check email or access banking sites other than using my trading PC or open suspicious emails. Am I relatively safe? Thanks!
I'm far from being a security expert, but: does 128 bit mean that you are using WEP? It's not very likely that someone will come and hack your network, but it doesn't cost much to use WPA with PSK: http://docs.lucidinteractive.ca/index.php/Cracking_WEP_and_WPA_Wireless_Networks if your antivirus is good you shouldn't have problems, but another thing that doesn't cost much is to use an account without administrator rights. In that way any bad application will have a harder time trying to install itself in the system.
Tired Sunbelt - looks great. The used a leak test and it failed. Try this, your set up might stop the leak but Sunbelt won't... http://www.grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm A great alternative is www.jetico.com
No...that doesn't make you safe. There are other things that can happen. For example, how prepared are you in preventing someone from accessing the information on your PC if your PC is stolen or if someone is able to use your PC without your permission or knowledge even though it wasn't stolen? Mark