Protecting and securing your computer is a major concern with the growing number of malicious software applications circulating on the Internet. The days of just applying the latest Windows security patches to your computer are over. New vulnerabilities or security holes are found almost daily and it usually takes Microsoft several days, if not weeks, to write and test a security patch to fix the hole. The slow response by many of the software companies combined with the fact that most vulnerabilities are not widely known about until they are used to attack thousands of computers are why it is now necessary to take an active approach to protecting your Windows computer. Using various security tools and techniques, it is possible to greatly reduce how vulnerable your computer is, even when new security vulnerabilities are discovered . By taking an active approach to securing your computer, you can easily protect your computer from the three core security threats to all PCs:
While these threats are an obvious concern to system administrators in enterprise level networks, they are no less a problem for the at-home user of Windows XP. Taking the steps outlined in this chapter to protect your Windows PC is an essential part of protecting both its data and its operating stability. The first of these essential steps is to make sure all user accounts on your PC are password protected. |