Avira AntiVir
ZoneLabs ZoneAlarm as firewall (good and easy-to-use one)
Spyware Doctor, disabled and not running for the above-mentioned reason, activated once in a while to scan the computer for adware

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ianfreddie07 @ Aug 27 2007, 07:20 AM) [snapback]306952[/snapback]</div>
no, his provider sucks. managed to get me over 50.000 attempts to break into my computer in a month.
they dont' supply firewalls and they dont' care much about it....

I fail to understand how it would be the provider responsability to see to the use of firewalls and PC protections... Unless you mean it in a way that would provide protection to the provider own servers?

it's not. that's why many in their network have infected PC.

But we have some providers that give you a nice little CD with Antivirus on and some free firewall. and explain you nicelly why that is good for you and stuff.

So i will assume that they will also take care of dangers on their side. which they do.

and i am connected elsewhere to that provider and i got like 70 attempts to break in out of which 0 were serious. also no problems with connection speed or anything similar.

My "Holy Trio" is:
Opera
SpyBot S&D
Avast! Home Edition

call me paranoid -

Spybot
Adaware
Zonealarm
Windows Defender ( as ocasional scan )
Windows live safety scanner ( ocasionally )
Router with SPI and firewall
Finjan secure browsing IE add on
Secunia Software inspector

and .. various other online scans on an occasional basis ( pc pitstop etc )

Hardware firewall + firefox + HijackThis. That is all.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(STFM @ Aug 30 2007, 01:04 AM) [snapback]307660[/snapback]</div>
wow you are almost wide open. Hardware firewall isn't really any good.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(gregor @ Aug 30 2007, 07:40 AM) [snapback]307680[/snapback]</div>wow you are almost wide open. Hardware firewall isn't really any good.[/b][/quote]Properly configurated it's more effective than ANY software.

and with hijack this he can see all his ports/programs used by them