Securing Your PC - Windows 98/95/ME

Overview

Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows ME are all among the more secure of Microsoft's operating systems for one main reason - they were intended as user operating systems and not as servers. Because they were not intended as servers, these operating systems have fewer ways for people to access them remotely. That said, there are some steps you can take to ensure that your computer remains secure.

Checklist

• Install Anti-Virus Software (20 minutes)
  Duke provides a site-license for the McAfee anti-virus software which allows all students, faculty and staff to use it for FREE. Of course, anti-virus software is only as good as the information it has, so make certain that you keep your DAT files up to date (the current version from OIT is set to auto-update).

• Disable File and Print Sharing (5 minutes)
  While not the default, it is possible that File and Printer sharing could be turned on for your computer. The concern is that if there is no password or if there is an easy password on these services, a malicious individual could access and abuse the shared services. Unless you really need to allow someone else to access your computer's hard drive, you should disable File and Print Sharing.

• Install the Windows Critical Update Notifier (10 minutes)
  The Critical Update Notifier is a tool provided by Microsoft to notify users of new security fixes and to assist in the downloading and installation of the fixes. This is an excellent tool to have on your system and it is available for free from Microsoft.

• Consider Installing a Personal Firewall (15 minutes)
  Personal Firewalls are a good way to lock down your computer. The firewall will not allow any unauthorized network traffic in or out of your computer. One note, these firewalls do tend to over-react, there is no need to threaten people with legal action if your firewall detects something, just be glad that it is doing its job.

• Keep Up To Date with Microsoft Security Fixes (ongoing)
  New security vulnerabilities are constantly being discovered in the operating system and in the basic applications Microsoft distributes (e.g. Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, etc). If you did not install the Windows Critical Update Notifier (above), you will need to keep on top of these issues by periodically check the Windows Update site and obtain the relevant security fixes.