Get the patches for XP especially the one for the Universal Plug and Play ASAP then go to GRC.com and download their utility to turn off the universal plug and play feature. Can't stress enough the importance of those patches!!!
I use Win ME and learned that UPnP is installed also...it's been there, but the Manufacturer had the option of turning it on...Mine apparantly did. Sooo...I installed Black Ice.
Interesting, the majority of scans now are HTTP attacks looking for the XP security hole. Six months ago, they were Net scans looking for already installed Trojans/Spyware.
YIKES! Maybe I better log off and go take care of bidniz.
You might want to pick up the little piece of software that Steve Gibbson wrote to open and close Upnpuu. It's free and available at
http://www.grc.com While your there read the entire section on a denial of service attack he suffered. Reads like a Clancy novel..