Again, I will again start with admitting I am ignorant with many computer things. Okay, we have that past, I have questions.
In an effort to improve my security, I have Trashscan and IPNetMonitor on my computer. I get the basic ideas of it. Trashscan shows what IPs are being used by people who scan me, and ports they are scanning. I know hackers are scanning for open ports, in order to send trojans, etc. However, I know many times remote computers are used to scan, and I don't know how to track that. I also don't know how to prevent the scanning, or programs being sent to my computer.
I know I can use trace route with IPNetMonitor, but I'm not sure if that will get me the original IP, or what exactly it really does, besides show a lot of IP addresses. Frankly, although I have vague ideas and I know definitions, I don't truly know what ping is, or routes are.
Anyway, what are the best ways to learn about those issues. I am not looking to get into hacking, or such stuff. I would like to be able to prevent scanning and intrusions into my computer, and keep track of who is doing it. Are there any good web pages on this? And explaining how programs like IPNetMonitor can actually help me?