As long as the issue of security is being raised, I'm going to list a few things that may be a bit unpopular:
1. The overall fault in Windows' security does not rest completely with Microsoft and Windows operating system.
2. Many users have only themselves to blame for getting their Windows PC or another kind of computer hosed. User actions are what bring on 99.9% of computer infestations. Very few are deliberate, unsolicited intrusions.
3. It isn't difficult to make a Windows PC secure. All it takes is just a little reading and a few adjustments on Internet surfing and e-mail habits -habits any computer user regardless of platform should take.
4. You don't need a Mac to have a secure computer. And the MacOS alone is no security blanket against the Internet either.
We run an all Windows-based shop. All of our computers are networked and have Internet access. We have a good firewall though. And we have taken a number of steps to remove common points of entry for malware.
Here's some tips I recommend:
1. Do NOT use Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Use Mozilla Firefox to surf the web and Thunderbird for e-mail. The full version of Opera is now free, so there's another alternative if you don't like Firefox.
2. Proof all e-mail headers via web-based mail clients. Most web-based mail systems have lots of filters as an extra defense against spam and malware. Never leave an application like Outlook Express or even Thunderbird running all the time. Only download e-mail to your local hard disc that you intend to keep. Delete all the rest.
3. If you use WindowsXP, Win2000, WinNT or even MacOSX, do most of your computing using a login with limited permissions. Some sign making applications will need administrator rights level logins to run properly. But otherwise use a guest level login. It's much more difficult for any outside intruder to remotely install malware on your machine if you're only logged in as a "guest."
4. Obvious: keep your anti-virus software updated. Have at least a couple good anti-spyware applications installed and updated. Run a good software firewall so in the unlikely event malware does get a foothold it won't be able to "phone home" very easy.
5. Be educated about threats. I can't believe some people fall for the 419 scams and various ID theft phishing schemes. But maybe I'm a little more street smart when it comes to the Internet. There's lots of ID theft threats that extend into the "analog world" as well. Don't be lazy about this stuff. Know the threats or you could lose thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to recover your identity and rebuild your destroyed credit.
6. Using WiFi? Secure it!
Wardriving or Hotspotting are serious sports. Lots of black hat hackers, ID thieves, traffickers of child pornography and people engaged in organized crime love to do their online work via unsecured WiFi Internet connections. It may be okay for a coffee shop to run a free and open WiFi connection from a Linux box. But you don't need to do that from your home. After all, it would be pretty bad to have the FBI kick in your door thinking you're a child pornographer just because their traces led them to your unsecured router's IP address.
7. Back up your data. Even if hackers can't take down your system hardware failures can. You never know when a hard drive will clamp down. I mirror my art files between home and work every day and make regular backups that are stored at the office and at the shop owner's house. Burglars could break into our studio, steal all the computers and torch the place. But we would still be in business because we don't have our data all stuck dangerously in just one place.
There are more tips I could provide, but these are the most important ones. I recommend any PC, Mac or Linux user follow them.
