Davehc, that’s an excellent article you posted.
I think the biggest problem with firewalls, spy ware, anti-virus and other security issues is the user. We come to rely too much on them and usually fail to take a proactive approach to save our data. I believe Crabby mention about the proper format for a strong password, but most people setup passwords that are just too simple to “guess” and even write those passwords down in a file stored in the computer. I like external storage devices because if used properly, it makes if difficult for hackers to get into them. They can also be easily turn on or off or disconnected when not needed.
After I posted the above message, I came across this article from MS concerning setting up a strong password. So I'm editing the post to add this info. Good reading.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu.../password.mspx