Lock Your Computer

Another important file security measure, and one that is somewhat overlooked, is to lock your computer. After all, the best-laid security implementation with share permissions is rendered absolutely useless if some schlub gains access to your computer locally.

And not only is it good computing practice, it's also very easy to do. Here's how:

1.	Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
2.	Choose Lock Computer.

Windows now shows the Computer Locked dialog box. There are now only two individuals who can unlock your computer: you (the person who locked it) and the system administrator.

This is also very good idea in a corporate environment. Any time you leave the computer, you should get in the habit of locking it down. This can be especially important if computer use is audited. Locking down your computer ensures that no one else can use your system while you are away (unless they know your password).

Note, however, that you can only follow these steps if your XP Professional system is joined to a Windows domain.

And, if your computer is in a domain, you can require the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys for logon. This ensures that the Windows logon prompt appears, which in turn increases security by countering some Trojan horse programs. To do so, follow these steps:

1.	Open the Control Panel and then open User Accounts.
2.	Click the Advanced tab, and then in the Secure logon section, select the "Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete" check box.

You must use an account with administrative privileges to configure this setting.