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Security for any Windows computer
connected to the Internet is
a serious issue!
Computers running the various Microsoft Windows
operating systems are almost always under attack from a horde
of different threats. Nearly 400 new viruses, trojans, worms
and variants appear each month and at present many commercial
anti-virus programs routinely scan
for more than 175,000 different possible problems, viruses,
trojans, worms and variants. Below are just a few tips that can
be used to help prevent possible problems. In addition Network Chico computer and network
consulting services
can help you secure your computing environment and protect yourself
online. Contact Network
Chico today.
Be sure to check out the Network
Chico Windows
resources for links to more information about Windows
security.
View the current (1,2,3,4,5,6) Windows
security threats
on Network Chico as reported
by:
Attention Windows users: Announcing the addition of
the Start-up application list
(startup info) mirrored from
sysinfo.org.
The page presents a searchable, comprehensive list of the programs
you may find that run when you switch on your Windows
PC as typically identified by MSCONFIG or the registry "Run"
keys and whether you need them or not.. This excellent resource
contains more than 12000
entries. Please be advised this page can take some time to load
since it is more than 2.8 MB in size.
Attention Windows users: Mozilla.org has released version 2.0.0.1 of its new secure web browser Firefox
for Windows. Network Chico
recommends the use of this browser as a replacement for Internet
Explorer for more secure web browsing.
Attention Windows XP users: Service Pack 2 for Windows
XP has been released. Network Chico
can install this major security update
for you without the need for any downloads; saving considerable
time since this update can be as large as 266MB.
Windows Security Tips:
1.Use an Internet firewall. Internet Connection
Firewall is built into Windows
XP.
2.Keep Operating System files patched and updated. Windows Update automates this process.
3.Use Up-to-Date Anti-virus software.
4.Turn off System Restore in Windows
XP.
5.Disable Messenger Service in Windows
XP.
6.Clear the system paging file (swap file) at shutdown. HKEY_local_machine\system\currentcontrolset\control\session
manager\memory management. Find or create the ClearPageFileAtShutdown
Dword value 1.
7.Turn off Simple file sharing in Windows XP. My Computer >
Tools | Folder Options | View tab.
8.Use NTFS rather than
FAT32 on all hard drives.
9.Disable Guest account in Windows XP Home/Pro.
10.Disable Dump file. Control Panel | System | Advanced tab |
Startup and Recovery pane. Set drop-down menu under Write debugging
information to (none).
11.Disable Dr. Watson. HKEY_local_machine\software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\AeDebug
and set the Auto string to 0. Then delete User.dmp and Drwtsn32.log
in Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\DrWatson.
12.Disable POSIX functionality. Run regedt32 (not regedit) and
find HKEY_local_machine\system\currentcontrolset\Control\Session
Manager\Subsystems and click on the multistring called Optional.
Delete the value POSIX and leave it blank. Remove Psxss.exe (%SystemRoot%\System32)
and delete the POSIX string.
13.Disable unnecessary services such as: NetMeeting, Remote Desktop
Sharing, Remote Desktop Help Session Manager, Remote Registry,
Routing and Remote Access, SSDP Discovery Service, telnet, and
Universal Plug and Play Device Host. Control Panel | Administrative
Tools | Services.
One useful tool for checking the status of security on your
computer or network is the Microsoft Baseline Security
Analyzer (MBSA). This tool provides a streamlined method
of identifying common security misconfigurations.
Network Chico recommends
the use of the Malicious Software Removal Tool from Microsoft.
The tool is updated monthly and can is available via WindowsUpdate.
Symantec
Security Check: Test your computer's exposure to online
security threats and learn how to make your computer more secure.
The free online scan requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0
or higher or the latest version of AOL with ActiveX and scripting
enabled. A virus scan is also available. The Security Scan
performs the following tests and offers recommendations based
on the results:
- Hacker Exposure Check
Checks whether your computer allows unknown or unauthorized Internet
communications.
- Windows Vulnerability Check
Checks whether basic information about your computer, including
your PC's network identity, is exposed to hackers.
- Trojan Horse Check
Checks whether your computer is safe from Trojan horses.
- Antivirus Product Check
Checks whether you're protected by a commonly-used virus protection
product.
- Virus Protection Update Check
Checks whether you're safe from the latest viruses. Applicable
if you have a virus protection product.
Network Chico recommends
the use of the free program EasyCleaner for Windows. EasyCleaner
is a small program which searches the Windows
registry for entries that are pointing nowhere. EasyCleaner
also lets you delete all kinds of unnecessary files like temps,
backups etc. You can search for duplicate files and you can view
some interesting information about your disk space usage. You
can also manage startup programs,
invalid shortcuts and add or remove software.
Network Chico also recommends
the use of the free program Safe
XP for users of Windows. This program makes configuring Windows security a snap. Be sure
to read the documentation completely. This freeware
download is brought to you by Network
Chico.
The guide to
securing Windows XP Pro in a network environment is now available
for download in PDF
format and provides information on how to secure a Windows XP
Pro client machine for use in a Windows 2000 Server environment.
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