Windows is the most dominant OS in the market today. But it is definitely not very secure. Windows has a history of critical security flaws which can virtually take full control over any PC running Windows. But there are a few simple steps that you can follow to make sure that your PC does not get infected. Here's a list -
1. Windows XP SP2.
Install Windows XP Service Pack 2 if you haven't done so already. It usually should have been already installed on your PC unless you have disabled automatic updates feature of XP. It contains many fixes for Windows vulnerabilities and most importantly, it activates the in-built firewall of XP.
2. Use a good Anti-Virus.
There are a number of anti-viruses available for Windows XP. Some of the popular ones include Norton, Mcafee, Nod32, Kaspersky, Trend Micro etc. If you have an old computer, I would recommend getting Nod32 as it uses very less memory and is also very fast. Do not use Windows Onecare. Most anti-viruses are not free but some like AVG are completely free and offer a decent level of protection against viruses.
3. Use a good Personal Firewall.
Although Windows firewall offers a decent level of protection, you would be better off it you use a good commercial firewall especially if you run a server on your PC. There are many firewalls available. I personally use ZoneAlarm as a firewall. I found it to be quite efficient, non-intrusive and also, it's completely free!
4. Use a good Anti-spyware.
What's the difference between virus and spyware? Well roughly, a virus tries to delete important system files and personal files on your computer causing serious problems for which you might have to reinstall Windows. But spyware installs itself on your computer to track your browsing habits and installs malicious adware and spyware on your PC and it does so without you even knowing it. It has very badly written hackish code because of which your PC can slow down, cause it to freeze unexpectedly and prevent it from even booting.
Anti-spyware software like Lavasoft Ad-aware, Spybot are available for free. Nowadays, most anti-virus companies also offer anti-spyware bundled in their internet security suites. But Ad-aware and Spybot offer much better protection.
5. Turn off File and Printer Sharing.
Unless you want to transfer files between computers directly very frequently or have a home network, you would not need this feature enabled. To disable File and Print Sharing, goto Control Panel -> Network and Internet Connections -> Network Connections. Right-click on the network connection shown as connected, select properties. De-select 'Client for Microsoft Networks' and 'File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks'. Click OK and you are done.
6. Make sure Automatic Updates is turned on.
Microsoft keeps on releasing fixes for critical flaws found in Windows on a monthly basis.
So it is better to have automatic updates turned on so that your PC keeps itself up-to-date with the fixes and you don't have to manually do it. Go to Control Panel and click Security Center (If you haven't installed SP2 first, you wont see this entry in the Control Panel.). Make sure all three lights for firewall, updates and anti-virus are green and their status is 'ON'. If not, click on them and Windows will tell you how you can turn them on.
7. Use a safe browser, use Firefox.
The browser is your interface to the internet and the gateway for malware to enter into your PC. Most malware problems are caused in the first place because of loopholes in Microsoft Internet Explorer which most people use. Firefox is a much safer browser to use than Internet Explorer. Plus, it's free! But if you really need Internet Explorer, at least use IE7. It is bit more secure. But I personally would still recommend using Firefox.
8. Don't install unknown software.
Tons and tons of software are available out there but all may not necessarily be well-behaved. Do not use software which you have never heard about. Make sure the software has a good review done somewhere. Most softwares which contain spyware are offered free of cost to make them attractive to the user. But once you install them, they open up a gateway for other such spyware to get installed on your PC.
9. Browse safely.
Don't visit shady sites or warez websites. Many are specifically built only to take advantage of vulnerabilites in Windows and takeover control of your computer. If you really want to browse such sites, use Firefox and disable javascript. Don't click on any pop-ups you might get unexpectedly. If you want to close a pop-up while browsing such sites, click the close button of the window.
10. Use Linux.
If you use your PC only for browsing the internet, use Linux OS instead of Windows. It is much more safer and reliable although installing it might be difficult. But once you have installed it, you can be sure that you will never get any virus, spyware or malware related problems ever. It is also available for free. There are any varieties of Linux available. If you have never used Linux before, you should use Ubuntu Linux.
If you follow the above measures, you should be free of any malware problems while using Windows. Happy surfing!
1. Windows XP SP2.
Install Windows XP Service Pack 2 if you haven't done so already. It usually should have been already installed on your PC unless you have disabled automatic updates feature of XP. It contains many fixes for Windows vulnerabilities and most importantly, it activates the in-built firewall of XP.
2. Use a good Anti-Virus.
There are a number of anti-viruses available for Windows XP. Some of the popular ones include Norton, Mcafee, Nod32, Kaspersky, Trend Micro etc. If you have an old computer, I would recommend getting Nod32 as it uses very less memory and is also very fast. Do not use Windows Onecare. Most anti-viruses are not free but some like AVG are completely free and offer a decent level of protection against viruses.
3. Use a good Personal Firewall.
Although Windows firewall offers a decent level of protection, you would be better off it you use a good commercial firewall especially if you run a server on your PC. There are many firewalls available. I personally use ZoneAlarm as a firewall. I found it to be quite efficient, non-intrusive and also, it's completely free!
4. Use a good Anti-spyware.
What's the difference between virus and spyware? Well roughly, a virus tries to delete important system files and personal files on your computer causing serious problems for which you might have to reinstall Windows. But spyware installs itself on your computer to track your browsing habits and installs malicious adware and spyware on your PC and it does so without you even knowing it. It has very badly written hackish code because of which your PC can slow down, cause it to freeze unexpectedly and prevent it from even booting.
Anti-spyware software like Lavasoft Ad-aware, Spybot are available for free. Nowadays, most anti-virus companies also offer anti-spyware bundled in their internet security suites. But Ad-aware and Spybot offer much better protection.
5. Turn off File and Printer Sharing.
Unless you want to transfer files between computers directly very frequently or have a home network, you would not need this feature enabled. To disable File and Print Sharing, goto Control Panel -> Network and Internet Connections -> Network Connections. Right-click on the network connection shown as connected, select properties. De-select 'Client for Microsoft Networks' and 'File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks'. Click OK and you are done.
6. Make sure Automatic Updates is turned on.
Microsoft keeps on releasing fixes for critical flaws found in Windows on a monthly basis.
So it is better to have automatic updates turned on so that your PC keeps itself up-to-date with the fixes and you don't have to manually do it. Go to Control Panel and click Security Center (If you haven't installed SP2 first, you wont see this entry in the Control Panel.). Make sure all three lights for firewall, updates and anti-virus are green and their status is 'ON'. If not, click on them and Windows will tell you how you can turn them on.
7. Use a safe browser, use Firefox.
The browser is your interface to the internet and the gateway for malware to enter into your PC. Most malware problems are caused in the first place because of loopholes in Microsoft Internet Explorer which most people use. Firefox is a much safer browser to use than Internet Explorer. Plus, it's free! But if you really need Internet Explorer, at least use IE7. It is bit more secure. But I personally would still recommend using Firefox.
8. Don't install unknown software.
Tons and tons of software are available out there but all may not necessarily be well-behaved. Do not use software which you have never heard about. Make sure the software has a good review done somewhere. Most softwares which contain spyware are offered free of cost to make them attractive to the user. But once you install them, they open up a gateway for other such spyware to get installed on your PC.
9. Browse safely.
Don't visit shady sites or warez websites. Many are specifically built only to take advantage of vulnerabilites in Windows and takeover control of your computer. If you really want to browse such sites, use Firefox and disable javascript. Don't click on any pop-ups you might get unexpectedly. If you want to close a pop-up while browsing such sites, click the close button of the window.
10. Use Linux.
If you use your PC only for browsing the internet, use Linux OS instead of Windows. It is much more safer and reliable although installing it might be difficult. But once you have installed it, you can be sure that you will never get any virus, spyware or malware related problems ever. It is also available for free. There are any varieties of Linux available. If you have never used Linux before, you should use Ubuntu Linux.
If you follow the above measures, you should be free of any malware problems while using Windows. Happy surfing!
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