- 1). Update your computer's operating system and software. Microsoft often provides updates to increase security. You can set your machine to install updates automatically or select how your computer notifies you about available updates.
- 2). Turn on Windows Firewall. A firewall can protect your computer by keeping out hackers and stopping "worms" and other malicious software. PC World magazine says the Windows Firewall has improved, although Microsoft "needs to strike the right balance between security and performance."
- 3). Set your User Account Controls. These controls make a distinction between administrator level settings that allow someone to make major changes to the computer, and standard users who can perform normal tasks. PC World reports that a study by a software developer found that "90 percent of critical Windows 7 vulnerabilities could be mitigated simply by not allowing standard users to run with administrator privileges."
- 4). Update your anti-spyware definitions. The anti-spyware software called Windows Defender can run automatically, but it needs the up-to-date definitions to let it know about recently identified threats.
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