I have now disabled the Services:
Messenger
and
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Service
Will this do the trick?
What does NetBIOS do, besides spam me?
Hmm... I *think* that should do the trick, but I'm not sure. I'm much better at building (corporate level) firewalls than securing individual boxes. If you page through your TCP/IP settings, make sure you do NOT have "Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP" checked, and if you can check your "bindings", make sure that Windows Networking or File and Printer Sharing are NOT bound to TCP/IP, either. For standard browsing and FTP, IRC, etc, you don't actually need ANYTHING bound to TCP/IP (which seems counter-intuitive, but it's the truth)
NetBIOS itself is part of Microsoft's networking setup. As I understand it, it's the stuff that lets the OS enable File/Printer sharing, automatic computer locating/naming on LAN/WAN, and some other functionality, including messaging. It contains the sharing that SAMBA connects to, plus more stuff.
Not a great technical explaination, but Microsoft never quite gives you the whole story, and you have to kind fill in the blanks on your own.
Windows Messenger service is a 'service' for adminstrators to send administrative messages to other users on a computer or local network (I think).
Correct you are on this. And it is quite different from MSN messenger.
The security risk, is that if someone can get to your NetBIOS enough to send messages, they can also get into your file and printer sharing, and lord knows how many other security holes. Pop-Up messages are annoying, but not nearly as annoying as if someone steals (copies) a private data file, or deletes a key file windows needs. Both of which are trivial, if you have that level of access to a remote machine... Be careful. Firewalls can be a pain, but they're a lot less painful than the alternative. Ok, I'm done preaching, now.
