PC Security Guide

When you buy any new computer, there are things you must do to make sure that it will stay in working order for a long time to come. With Windows 7, it is easier than ever to make the changes that are needed to keep your computer operational. Some of the tasks that you must do help keep your computer secure from outside threats. When you take a fresh Windows 7 installation out of the box, it is already pretty secure. This is not like the Windows operating systems of the past. Microsoft has made sure that they paid special attention to security matters in this OS. But there are still some things that you are going to have to do to make sure that the system will keep you and your data safe. We will take a look at some of these tasks. Once you have gone through this checklist then you should feel secure the next time that you go on the internet.

The right antivirus software

Of course, the first thing that you are going to want to do is install the right antivirus software. When you surf the web, one of the man things that you have to worry about is the bad guys being able to install something nasty on your system. With quality antivirus software installed on your computer, you will not have to worry about that threat. As long as you keep the system updated, most threats that you will run across on the internet will be neutralized. There are several antivirus software vendors that you can choose from. Microsoft even offers a version of their own antivirus software that you can use on your system. Their software is free and it is highly recommended in the security community. So now once you have the antivirus installed, it’s off to the next step.

Make sure that your network is secure

The next thing that we want to do is to make sure that our network is secure. We do this by installing a firewall on our system. A firewall is a piece of software that will block traffic from coming into unauthorized ports. There are two versions of firewalls that you can use a hardware firewall and a software firewall. A hardware firewall is one that is installed in the router that you have at your home. If you have a wireless network at your house then you most likely have a router with a firewall installed on it. Make sure that it is turned on. Also you can install a firewall right in your system. There are plenty of third parties that offer firewall software but there is also one already installed into Windows 7.

Time to get rid of the spyware

Now that you have the firewall and antivirus installed, it is now time to worry about the spyware that might try to enter your system. Even though some antivirus software will stop spyware as well it is better to get a dedicated piece of software to do the job. There are many places where you can get anti-spyware software and again Microsoft has their own version of this as well. We suggest that you go with a third party since the reviews of this software from Microsoft is not as high as their other security products.

As you can see, it takes a little bit of work to make sure that Windows 7 is secure from day one. But once you accomplish it, you will feel a lot better surfing the internet.