Firewall

If they have a permanent connection to the internet such as cable or DSL, the short answer is yes. It is even more important if they keep thier computer on all the time.

If they are just using a dail-up connection then they should not bother. Since each time they connect they will get a different IP address.

Cable connections have fixed IP addresses and that makes it easier for a hacker to find the computer and attempt to break-in.

DSL has a fixed IP until the dsl modem is powered off and on. So this also makes it easier to connect to it.

Now if your using a cable/dsl router using nat (each computer gets a different ip address from the router - it is not the external ip from the internet provider) this is normally all they would need.

Like the first answer says. But it's a good idea to have something protecting you. Try Symantec Internet Security. It has been working great for me since I'm using Cable to connect.

As the above answers! A firewall is never a bad idea, even if you are a dial-up user. I'd recommend ZoneAlarm, it's easy to set up and manage, but it will take some time to configure it to one's liking.

It will always tell you when a program tries to access the net and ask for a decision from the user. You can however include programs in permitted groups so that you don't have to answer the questions every time you want to use IE or a mail program. ZoneAlarm will also hide your computer fromthe net so that others won't be able to detect it, as it will close all ports on your connection that are not in use.

The best part with ZoneZlarm is that it's basic version is free for home users, the more complicated and advanced one costs. I'drecommend you go and try it out!

Have fun!

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