Microsoft claims that Windows XP is its most secure operating system to date. Unfortunately, this has proven to not necessarily be the case - there have already been several security vulnerabilities discovered in the operating system. The following is what we believe to be a good list of tips, but as Windows XP is deployed, there are certain to be more suggestions in the future.
Set good passwords on all accounts (5 minutes)
To set a password, log in as the Administrator account, then
hit CTRL-ALT-DEL and
select the "Change Password" option. Select a
good password and remember it.
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).
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.
Disable Remote Assistance (5 minutes)
Remote Assistance is a new feature in Windows XP
designed to allow another user to take control of your computer to assist in trouble shooting.
This can't be a good thing. To disable it, go to the Control Panel and double click the
System icon. Locate the Remote tab and click the Settings button. Disable the
checkbox called Allow this computer to be controlled remotely.
Create a user account (5 minutes)
One of the main problems with Windows is that many people run the entire computer as Administrator.
The argument is that this is necessary to allow you to install software. This is also dangerous because
viruses and trojan horses that are accidentally run will be run as the Administrator account. To solve this,
let's create a User account for every day use. When you need to install new software, use the Run As
feature to temporarily become the Administrator. Run As can be used by pressing Shift and holding down
the Right Mouse Button which brings up a menu including "Run As". Selecting "Run As" will prompt you for the
Administrator password - now, whatever you just ran will be run as the Administrator.
Consider Installing the Windows XP 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.
You can enable the firewall in Windows XP by going to the
Control Panel, selecting Network and Internet Connections, select Network
Connections, right-click on the appropriate connection and select Properties
and then the Advanced tab. Check the Internet Connection Firewall box.
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.