Windows XP: How To Tighten The Security on Windows XP

It's finally happened. Your PC may have just started to run extremely slow, or it may be rendering error messages, or it won't boot up beyond a black screen, or it won't power on at all. Sooner or later all PCs will experience some problems. Most of these problems could have been prevented by taking additional security measures.

1. Please CLICK HERE to read our disclaimer before getting started. Be sure to read through this entire article before you actually start and if you DO NOT feel comfortable performing these steps, then STOP and DO NOT PROCEED any further.

2. Make sure your anti-virus is always up-to-date.
Anti-virus software is only as good as the latest virus definition files it uses to identify potential virus threats. Outdated or expired anti-virus subscriptions is the same as having no anti-virus software installed whatsoever.

3. Make sure the latest Microsoft security updates are applied to your computer.
Microsoft releases security and critical updates because there are thousands of ports in the operating system that represent open doors to hackers, viruses, malware, and other scripts designed to gain access to your computer. Ensuring that you have the latest security and critical updates will help to prevent your computer from becoming an easy victim to these internet threats.

4. Install Service Pack 2.
If you have an older version of Windows XP, make sure to Service Pack 2. It contains many new security updates and security features to help protect your computer from drive-by installations of spyware.

5. Make sure your Windows Firewall is turned on.
Your ADSL modem acts as a firewall but its always a good idea to also run built-in firewall that's included with Windows XP. It provides another layer of defense to help to prevent your computer from becoming an easy victim to internet threats.

6. Download and install Microsoft Windows Defender.
Microsoft's Windows Defender is a new product that may help to prevent spyware from being installed onto your computer without your knowledge. You can download and install it from...

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

7. Don't use internet chat programs.
Internet chat programs open a door to your computer. Users on internet chats can exchange files and internet chat programs are fast becoming another method by which virus can be transmitted from computer to computer. Unless you absolutely trust who you are chatting with, do not accept any files whatsoever. They may be infected.

8. Set up and use non-administrative accounts.
Running a non-administrative account will help to prevent malicious internet software from installing spyware onto your computer. While not 100% effective and it may seem to be annoying to switch back to an administrative account to install or uninstall software, this is still an effective method to help prevent spyware.

9. Set up and use strong passwords.
Believe it or not, there is no computer that is 100% secure when it is left out in the open even if it is password protected. However, using strong passwords will help to prevent unauthorized entry to your system by novice users. You'd be surprised to know how many people use the pets' names, kids' names, streets they live on, or even just never change a temporary password whose only intended purpose is to be easily remembered. Here is a web page that will let you test how weak or how strong that little "susie" or "fluffy" password really is...

10. Delete your history, cookies, and cached files.
Just browsing to a website will save images to your computer. If your computer becomes infected with spyware that generates pornographic popup windows, Internet Explorer will save those images in a special folder on your computer under the assumption that you downloaded them and wish to view them later. You can regularly remove any cached images and files from your computer from within the Internet Explorer Properties by deleting temporary internet files and clearing your history.

11. Some Helpful Third Party Applications:

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Disclaimer:
Please make sure that you possess the fundamental and required skill sets before you implement any advice or attempt to perform any troubleshooting steps we, or other websites, might recommend. You should also be advised that we have no control over how you perform any troubleshooting steps nor do we have any control over the content of other third-party websites you might visit that are listed in our weekly newsletter. We also do not know if you have patched your computer with the latest security updates nor do we know if your anti-virus definition files are fully up-to-date.

Therefore, in no event shall Bright Ideas Computing or any of its third-party product or service providers be liable to any person for any special, incidental, indirect, consequential, or punitive damages of any kind, including, without limitation, those resulting from loss of use, loss of data, or lost profits, in connection with any advice provided by Bright Ideas Computing, damages resulting from visiting third-party websites or damages resulting from implementing any advice from those third-party websites, whether or not you are advised of the possibility of such damages.