The best thing to do as your getting into the security world is to read, then read some more. Try to soak up as much knowledge as is humanly possible. Pick a topic that you want to learn first like possibly TCP/IP protocols or implementing IDS then pick up some books, Google for tutorials, Check out the Antionline Tutorial Index</a>, and of course ask us if you need help. After you learn a great deal you then may choose to set up a small network within your home for a personal war-game. Practice securing services on older and newer boxes.

As for port scanners my favorite would probably be nmap for the sheer amount of control it gives.

Welcome to AO and the security World
AzE

Don’t forget to read the antionline newbie tuts
http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=251402
Antionline Tut Index
http://www.neg.be/index/

EDIT-seems I need to learn to type faster so I'm not always beat to the punch