Ok, the new PC has arrived, you are anxious to un-box it and get started surfing the internet for those great after holiday deals. Put the brakes on….not so fast. Before you start, we should spend the next few minutes discussing what could happen to that new PC if you go out to the internet unprepared. Remember those talks that your mother and father use to have with you about all the not-so-scrupulous people who are waiting for you in the concrete jungle? Well, the same thing is true for the internet. New PCs are the most vulnerable to internet and email attacks.
In previous articles, I’ve given you a small taste of what could happen. So now that you have that nice new PC, I’m going to give you some worthwhile advice on setting it up. The first thing you need to do is turn it on, if you have broadband access (cable or dsl) do not plug that network cable into the back of that PC. Once the operating system has booted and all that non-essential software from the PC manufacturer has loaded, you need to check to make sure the Windows XP firewall is on. If service pack two (SP2) is installed, the firewall is on by default however, if for some reason your new PC only came with SP1, then you’ll need to turn the firewall on manually. If you have an antivirus CD handy, go ahead and install it too, next make sure Windows update is on. With these three items in place you are somewhat safe to proceed with getting on the internet. After you connect to the internet, immediately open Internet Explorer and type this URL into the address bar: http://update.microsoft.com/ and install all the critical updates. Just a warning, there are a few of them so once you start, go have a cup of coffee.
After you’ve installed all those critical updates, do the same for the optional updates which are posted for your PC and install Microsoft’s Anti Spyware located at http://microsoft.com/antispyware. My next suggestion would be to navigate to http://mozilla.org and download the FireFox browser; after it is installed close Internet Explorer (IE) and try not to use it for much of anything as it is not as secure as the FireFox browser. Unfortunately, you may need it occasionally to co-exist with Microsoft sites. If you don’t have an anti-virus package and have spent way too much money on that new PC, try a terrific free (AVG) one at http://grisoft.com.
Next, you need to take steps to protect who is allowed to share files on your PC. For now you want to turn off Simple File Sharing, I’ll explain it at a later date but for now disable it. This can be done by going to Tools\ Folder Options\View, scroll down in the list of Advanced Settings and deselect Simple File Sharing even though it’s recommended.
For those new laptop users who have decided to dive into the world of wireless technology, the advice listed above is for you also; however I would add an additional layer of security to your new laptop and that is a VPN solution. A VPN solution will stop any prying eyes from seeing what you are doing while connected wirelessly to an internet connection. A few that I recommend are Hotspot VPN located at http://hotspotvpn.com and Public VPN (http://publicvpn.com).
Just remember that these steps are just the beginning of securing your computer. Even though this isn’t a complete list of steps, by completing the above will enable you to safely start using your new PC. Enjoy.
Tip of the month: In order to access your system properties quickly, hold down the Window key and press Pause.