Best Practices

• Install appropriate anti-malware defenses. Windows Vista does not come with all the defenses most people need.

• Keep malware detection and removal programs up to date with the latest signatures.

• If instructed by a vendor or troubleshooting technician to disable anti-malware software during a troubleshooting event, don't forget to reenable when the problem is fixed.

• Always assume that your anti-malware software program(s) aren't perfect, because they aren't. In a given year, they will miss one or more malicious programs arriving in e-mail or through your web browser. Treat all unexpected, strange-looking e-mails as malicious until you can prove otherwise. Never click on an unexpected file attachment or web link, until you confirm that it is to be trusted.

• Establish appropriate firewall practices.

Analyze the actual security features you need and critically evaluate all the products to see which provide them. Keep in mind that many of the "research reports" on security are written by people that have a product to sell (including Microsoft). Reporters are seldom immune from this product-oriented perspective either.