hatches against Net threats new and old. Here’s how.
each new wave of computer viruses,
spies, and spam may have you ready
to abandon the computer. But PC
security can be effective without being
a chore. To keep your computing safe
from current and future threats, we’ve
distilled our security advice down to
the basics. These ten quick and easy
tips will help protect your hardware,
software, and data.
1. PATCH AUTOMATICALLY
Ensure Windows is set to update itself. In
XP, click Start, Control Panel, Security
Settings (if you’re in Category view), Automatic
Updates. In 2000, choose Start, Settings,
Control Panel, Automatic Updates.
In both versions, verify that ‘Automatic
(recommended)’ is selected. You can
also have Windows notify you before it
downloads an update, or you can install
the update manually. (The steps and
options are only slightly different in
Windows 98 and Me.)
2. DON’T WAIT FOR WINDOWS UPDATES
If your PC has been off for more than a
few days, don’t wait for Windows’ automatic
update to kick in. Make the Windows
Update site your fi rst Internet stop. Also,
there may be a lag between when a patch is
available and when Windows Update pushes
it to you. To be safe check for updates
manually every couple of weeks. And don’t
forget to set your antivirus and anti-spyware
tools to update automatically (or check
weekly for updates yourself).
3. USE A SECURITY MONITOR
Windows XP Service Pack 2’s most welcome
addition is the Windows Security
Center, which alerts you when your PC’s
fi rewall and antivirus protection are disabled
or out of date. Still, XP’s own fi rewall
protects you only from inbound
pests; it doesn’t alert you to suspicious
outbound traffic. We recommend that
you disable the XP fi rewall and instead
use Zone Labs’ (ZoneAlarm) or another
third-party firewall program that protects
both ways.
4. MAKE FILE EXTENSIONS VISIBLE
Some viruses masquerade as harmless
file types by adding a bogus extension
near the end of their name, as in “funnycartoon.
jpg.exe,” in hopes your system is
set to hide such extensions (the default in
Windows XP and 2000)—you see ‘.jpg’
but not ‘.exe’. To make these troublemakers
easier to spot, open Windows Explorer
or any folder window and click Tools,
Folder Options, View. Ensure that the
option ‘Hide file extensions for known
fi le types’ is unchecked.
Bonus Tip: To get the most complete
picture of your Windows setup, check
Show hidden f il es and folders and
uncheck Hide protected operating system
fi les (Recommended).
5. KEEP INTERNET EXPLORER SAFE
Many people fi nd IE 6’s Medium security
level too obliging to ActiveX controls and
other small programs, or scripts, that the
browser runs on your PC. ActiveX and
JavaScript enable such useful Web features
as order forms and security scans, but they
also may run malicious code and give
attackers access to your system. To make
IE safer, click Tools, Internet Options, Security,
Custom Level, select High from the
drop-down menu at the bottom of the
Security Settings dialog box, and click
Reset, Yes, OK.
Unfortunately, setting IE to the High
security setting can lead to the browser’s
unleashing a fusillade of warnings and
permission pop-ups every time you visit a
site. The solution is to add the sites that
you access often to IE’s Trusted Sites list:
Choose Tools, Internet Options, Security,
click the Trusted Sites icon, and then click
the Sites button. Enter the Web address,
click Add, and repeat as necessary. Be
sure to uncheck Require server verifi cation
(https:) for all sites in this zone. When
you’re fi nished, click OK twice.
6. MAKE FIREFOX MORE SECURE
The only way to block JavaScripts on a
site-by-site basis in the Mozilla Foundation’s
free Firefox browser is to download
and install the NoScript add-in. NoScript
places a warning bar at the bottom of all
the Web pages you visit that use JavaScript.
Click the bar to see options for
allowing scripts on the site (permanently
or temporarily), blocking scripts, and
other operations. The program can also
stifl e Flash animations and other Firefox
plug-ins, but keep in mind that going
Flash-less means you’ll be missing out on
some of the Web’s richest content (along
with all of those great dancing ads).
7. HANDLE E-MAIL LINKS WITH CARE
If a virus infects your PC, chances are
good it arrived piggybacked on
e-mail. To reduce your risk of an e-mailborne
infection, don’t click links in
suspicious messages (the text in the
message may mask the actual Web
address). Instead, enter the URL in your
browser’s address bar manually, or go to
the site’s home page and then navigate
to the page in question.
8. SCAN ATTACHMENTS FOR VIRUSES
Run each of the e-mail attachments you
receive through your antivirus software
before you open them. Rather than double-
clicking the attachment to open it
instantly, save the fi le to a drive on your
PC, open Windows Explorer, right-click
the fi le, and choose the option to scan it
for viruses. (Better yet, set your antivirus
software to scan incoming and outgoing
e-mail automatically.)
9. CLOSE THE PREVIEW PANE
Some malefi cent messages need only be
opened in your e-mail program’s preview
window to do their dirty work. That’s
why we recommend that you close the
preview pane in all of your inboxes. In
Microsoft Outlook 2003, click View,
Reading pane, Off. In Outlook Express 6,
click View, Layout and verify that ‘Show
Preview Pane’ is unchecked. In Mozilla
Thunderbird, click View, Layout and confi
rm that ‘Message pane’ is unchecked
(or press
on and off).
10. READ YOUR MAIL IN PLAIN TEXT
Since many e-mail pests rely
on HTML code to achieve their nefarious
goals, you can stop them in their
tracks by viewing your messages as
plain text. In Outlook 2003, click Tools,
Options, Preferences, E-mail Options and
check Read all standard mail in plain
text. In Outlook Express 6, choose Tools,
Options, Read and click Read al l
messages in plain text. In Mozilla
Thunderbird, select View, Message Body
As, Plain Text.
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