HI Savaronia; welcome to GSF.
a) Your router will provide good inbound protection. (Hardware firewalls only support outbound filtering on port basis, not
application.) A software firewall can control outbound programs and processes.
b) Get a Safer Browser: Firefox or Opera..(Firefox: add NoScript & AdblockPlus extensions).
c) Get a HIPS:
Banking, Shopping, and surfing some dangerous sites there ...pron sites - notorious for driveby downloads, malicious scripts, misleading or rogue software and advertising, infecting your machine.
Suggest you get a Host Intrusion Prevention application like DefenseWall HIPS and then the AV is a secondary layer for scanning, checking system.
DW protects your online activity and core system extremely well and is very user-friendly, and easy to learn...
Website:
http://softsphere.com/programs/Support: by email and forums right here...
http://gladiator-antivirus.com/forum/index.php?showforum=192