Making your Windows OS more secure and
improving your privacy online can become an awkward process
given the number of things that can be done to improve it.
In this guide we will
cover many of such known solutions for various popular
applications which should make your system more secure and
less prone to viruses. The guide has been prepared with
Windows 2000 and XP users in mind, however a lot of the
stuff contained here can be also applied to earlier versions
of the OS, in addition to Internet Explorer and Outlook
Express.
Update, Update,
Update
It cannot be stressed
enough how important it is to apply patches to your system,
particularly in the case of Windows itself and Internet
Explorer (most certainly if it’s your default browser) which
has security holes found, usually patched soon afterwards.
A complete listing
for Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000 and XP versions can be found on
our
OS Updates page.
Another extremely
worthwhile download would be PivX
Qwik-Fix, which
adds further protection against various Windows/Internet
Explorer vulnerabilities. Certainly if Internet Explorer is
your browser of choice it will be worth getting.
If you’re using
Windows 2000 or XP, Microsoft has an extremely useful
utility available that can scan your system for potential
vulnerabilities and updates as well, called
Microsoft Baseline Security
Analyzer. We even have a guide for using that
right here.
Physically securing
the PC
Often when it comes
to security, the most obvious things are the ones most
easily overlooked (hence why I’ll get this out of the way
first). If your PC is located in an environment where other
people may have access to it, e.g. office, then it would be
worth taking a few precautions in order to ensure they can’t
access your system unless authorised to do so – After all,
it’s far easier to compromise a system if you can physically
get to it, rather than remotely.
Two steps to secure
the PC in this case would be:
BIOS Password
In most modern BIOS’ there should be a setting entitled
Security Option, with options available being System
or Setup. Selecting System will set the PC to
prompt you for a password whenever the PC is booted up, with
the incorrect password being entered resulting in the system
not loading. Selecting Setup sets the PC to prompt
you for a password whenever you attempt to enter the BIOS,
with the incorrect password being entered resulting in the
BIOS not being accessible. There should also be a
corresponding Set Password option to enter in the
password that is required to be entered to load the
system/BIOS.
Lock Windows
If you are using 2000/XP it is possible to lock the
Operating System, a good idea if you’ve to go somewhere else
temporarily – this way no-one should be able to access the
system, nor should you have the hassle of needing to restart
the PC or reload/save any work you were doing – it can be
locked as is.
To do so simply press the Windows key + L
simultaneously or CTRL-ALT-DEL simultaneously and
select Lock Computer. To unlock the OS simply press
CTRL-ALT-DEL simultaneously and enter your login
details.
Windows can also be
set to lock the system automatically after a period of
inactivity. Right click on the desktop and select
Properties, then the Screen Saver tab.
Ticking
the option ‘On resume, password protect’ will lock
the OS whenever the screen saver becomes active, should you
use one. This is a further refinement to purposely locking
your PC, just in case you happen to leave the system
unattended for longer than you were expecting.
