Most likely you are actually using an internet Suite and it is the firewall portion giving that notice.
What is happening is other people's computers are scanning the entire network (well, the node they can see) and looking for open ports. Those ports are like windows to your computer, and these people are seeing if they can get in to your computer through them.
Usually they use published exploits. They know program 'X' has a problem and so will scan every computer they can see to see if they can pretend they are program X and take advantage of that.
When you hear stories that say things like, "It takes 90 seconds for an unpatched computer to be compromised" it is programs like that that are doing the compromising.
A firewall's job is to keep those sort of things away from your computer no matter what issues may be discovered.
My guess is that in today's world most viruses get on computers via social engineering. They convince you to click on something you shouldn't.
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"The problem with any ideology is that it gives the answer before you look at the evidence."
—Bill Clinton
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance--it is the illusion of knowledge."
—Daniel J. Boorstin, historian, former Librarian of Congress
"But the Senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity"
—WKRP in Cincinatti
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Network Attacks: Explain to me what's up
