Hopefully, located where she is, most of Lindy's wireless traffic is "in house." I'm assuming there isn't WiFi out there in the hills, but who knows nowadays? A remote location also helps keep you safe from people coming by and "hijacking" the service.

Using wireless in a cafe or airport is tricky. You hope the provider is on top of the security issues. It's not something I like to do if there's any other choice.

Lindy, the simplest wireless security setup allows you to simply create a password that the system uses to construct the actual security encryption code. I'm working through AirPort here, which allows that. It's been a while since I've set up a PC encryption, so I don't know if it can be handled that simply. Robert's advice on getting a geek to help out is good, but have them walk you through it so you understand it, too.

There is also a setting to make your network "invisible" to anyone without the password, which should probably be activated. It doesn't help as much as encryption, but the harder I can make someone work to bust in, the better. When I scan with one of my Macs, I can raise like three neighbors' networks here. They're encrypted, but that's still information.

Your best bet is still a hefty anti-virus/anti-adware program, and to get a real good one, you'll probably have to spend money. Be sure to find out if updates need a paid subscription (more common today).