Securing almost everything on your PC

[ineedhelpregularly21]

Family-proof your PC.

 

1. Create multiple user accounts

 

Click the Start menu, open the Control Panel, and select "User Accounts." For each intended user, click "Add" in the Users tab, enter a name, and then select the user type--either power-user status, which allows administrative rights, or restricted-user status, which does not.

 

 

2. Check your protection software

 

 

Download this free tools:

 

Zone Alarm Free: http://majorgeeks.com/ZoneAlarm_Free_d388.html

Ad-Aware: http://majorgeeks.com/Ad-Aware_SE_Personal_d506.html

Spybot: http://majorgeeks.com/SpyBot-Search_&_...ools_d2471.html

AVG antivirus: http://majorgeeks.com/AVG_Free_Edition_d886.html

Spyware Blaster: http://majorgeeks.com/SpywareBlaster_d2859.html

 

 

3. Safer browsing

 

Change browsers:

 

Opera: http://www.opera.com/

Firefox: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/

 

 

How to avoid suspicious websites: http://www.download.com/How-to-avoid-suspi..._4-5160247.html

 

 

 

Secure your wireless network:

 

1. Change your SSID and Password

 

Change your SSID number and password from the default setting into something private and strong. A default SSID is cake for hackers familiar with each company's settings and passwords. To change the SSID and your network password, launch the software for your wireless hardware. You should be able to change your SSID within the program's preferences.

 

2. Add MAC Filtering

 

The MAC, or Media Access Control, filter is what gives you control over who may access your network and who may not. It takes a small time investment to set up MAC filtering, but without it, hackers can waltz in and use your network as they see fit.

 

To give specific computers permission to use your network, you'll need to add their MAC addresses--the 12-digit address attached to every physical network device (PC, laptop, router). Enabling MAC filtering is a different process with each hardware manufacturer, but in most cases, opening up your wireless software and locating the security settings should put you in the right place. Finding the MAC address for each device might also be a challenge if you don't know where to look.

 

3. From WEP to WPA

 

There are two types of encryption protocols, WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). WPA is generally regarded as more secure due to its dynamic, ever-changing key. Unfortunately, the encryption key you end up with is also device-specific and WPA isn't yet as prevalent as WEP. Even if you don't have access to WPA encryption, the combination of WEP and MAC filtering is usually enough to deter the casual hacker. A word to the wise--WPA is built in to most new routers along with WEP; however, unless your network components support WPA, WEP will remain the default encryption.

 

4. Repair holes with software

 

The best accompany to your defense is a software firewall. There are inexpensive ones on the market like Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite, Trend Micro PC-Cillin, and others.

 

 

 

While this guide has mostly covered the basics, you may have some other solution in your mind.

 

 

Thanks to http://www.download.com/ for some of the information

 

Hope this guide helps

 

 

inhr21

[jjawinte]

Just noticed this post.Good common sense help for everyone.Thank you.

[mme]

thats a lot of downloads

[ineedhelpregularly21]

Could you recommend me an all-in-one suite which has the same detection rates as the posted software has?

[Guest badbinary]

you can avoid most of that simply by using group policies on your computer and not using admin accounts.

[ineedhelpregularly21]

another: use linux