Although you're connected all the time with DSL, with proper firewall and AV (and antispyware and maybe antiporn) you shouldn't have a problem. Many of us with dial-up are on 24/7 anyway.

With WinXP, you can make your connection virtually invisible. IF you have a LAN setup, and use Win2K on a "connected" machine, Win2K does have to have a "visible port" for the LAN that lets your web connection be seen by the outside world. If you can let WinXP run the LAN and connect the other machines through it you can eliminate even that one. Most hardware firewalls, at the DSL connection, will eliminate the problem, although some software firewalls may not. Being "visible" is not desirable, but isn't a real problem with a good firewall and AV.

Older Windows OS are more vulnerable, but good firewall and AV will get you by.

Norton's website has a pretty good checkout (their Security Check), free, that you can use to get a reading on what your exposure is, once you get set up. They'll tell you whether the web can see you when you don't want to be seen, and will suggest what you can do about it. They'll suggest Norton products, of course, but there's no real hard sell on it. Other security sites probably have similar tests.

John