How I Keep My System Virus and Spyware Free

  I've pretty much been virus free for almost 5 years now. I don't have a special bag of tricks for you but some of the programs I use on a daily basis may surprise you. So let's start with the obvious ones first and work our way down through the list of preventions that I employ.

1:  First of you all you need the latest service pack for whatever version of Windows you are using. XP SP3 just came out as of this writing. I would install that right away. If not, at least make sure you install SP2.

2:  Of course you need an Anti-Virus program. I personally have been using Trend Micro PC-Cillin Suite with Firewall for about 5 years now.  I seriously cannot remember the last time I was infected. I'm not a big Norton fan! A little research on the comparisons of scanners couldn't  hurt. Sometimes the tide changes from year to year as to who is most effective at preventing viruses. 

3:  Another program everyone should be running is an Anti Spyware program. I consider spyware to be much more dangerous than viruses, for the simple fact that spyware tries to hide from your presence and gather info about you. Viruses most often are created to cause damage and      definitely want to make their presence known. The spyware program I choose to run is Ad-Aware Pro - the paid version. The Pro   version runs resident in the background at all times while the free version can only run on demand. Usually it's too late by then. But you  can setup the free version to run automatically daily via a scheduled task. Look under command line in the help. Freeware/Shareware

4:  I also run Spybot Search and Destroy on my system. It too runs on demand but also has an immunize feature that permanently set ups your system to reject known threats.  It has a blacklist of registry changes and will prevent any program from making these changes to your system. Also has another feature called Tea Timer which perpetually monitors the processes called/initiated. It immediately detects known malicious processes wanting to start and terminates them giving you some options. I setup this program as well to run automatically every day. Free!

I also have at the ready Malwarebytes, SuperAntiSpyware, and HitmanPro.  All installed but not running resident. Just in case.

5:  And yet I run another program called Spyware Blaster. This program maintains a blacklist as well that gets added to your restricted sites zone in Internet Explorer thus preventing you from even accidently navigating to one of these sites. This program has an immunize feature too. Free!

6:  Disable the Guest Account on your system. Very popular back door for unwanted intruders. Go to "Start", "Control Panel", "User Accounts", select the "Guest" account, then select "Turn off the guest account".
 

7:  Disable Simple File Sharing

By default, simple file sharing is enabled on a Microsoft Windows XP based computer if the computer is not a member of a domain. There are no permissions or passwords set on shares this way. If you do not have a firewall enabled, anyone with network access to your PC can access these shares with no restrictions. Go to "Start", "My Computer", "Tools", "Folder Options", "View" tab, select "Advanced Settings", uncheck "Use Simple File Sharing", select "Apply".

8:  Disable Hidden Admin Shares

Windows XP Professional automatically creates a number of hidden administrative shares (such as ADMIN$ and C$). These shares are designed for remote access support by domain administrators. By default, if you delete these admin shares, they will be recreated when you reboot. To disable them permanently so they will not be recreated on the next reboot, use this utility. 

Download XP_AutoAdminShare.zip
   

9:  You need to run the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
"Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) is an easy-to-use tool that helps small and medium businesses determine their security state in accordance with Microsoft security recommendations and offers specific remediation guidance." Improve your security management process by using MBSA to detect common security misconfigurations and missing security updates on your computer systems. Free!
 

10: My list keeps going I know. I run another program called TUT  - The Ultimate Troubleshooter.

Now this program helps me spot programs and or processes that are secretly running on boot up. It maintains a database of programs, processes and start up configurations that have been know to cause problems. Shareware

11: There are a number of sites out there that maintain a list of known good and bad start up programs. So after you analyze your system's start up files ( do this by going to "Start", "Run", type in MSConfig and go the last tab on the right ). Scan through this list and see how many programs you know for sure that you installed. Al the others can be referenced at the various sites listed below for issues.

      WindowsStartup       Startuplist       

      Here's another useful reference for you for dealing with startup programs: How to Use MSConfig

12: There are also some sites you can go to test how vulnerable your system is.

      Shields Up         Leak Test                   Email Security Test           Intrusion  Prevention

13:  Almost everyone has a wireless router at home nowadays. Turn on WPA!  Check out the router's manual and make sure WPA is enabled. There are plenty of other security measures that can be turned on at your router to stop almost anyone. You can even filter out PCs down to a mac address if you were so inclined. This point of access has become a major issue in the past year because most people have no security turned on for their home wireless network. Drive by now has a double meaning.

14:  Make sure you have good passwords for all your accounts on your machine. No auto logins.

15:  Another program I use from time to time is HiJackThis. A more advanced program when all else fails.

      HiJackThis - Also has plenty of other spyware/antivirus/analysis programs listed there as well. 

      HiJack Analysis 1      

16:  Another concern has to be some of the Windows services that are turned on / off by default. The following are services that should be modified according the table below for maximum security.
 

17:  Stay away from sites that you know are going to dump on you. You know what I mean.

18:  There is no one program that will totally protect you. It's like going to the doctor for a flu shot and wondering why you contracted a blood disease. There are many avenues of access into your system from the outside and all the doors have to be monitored. This goes for Linux and Mac as well, despite what you may have heard. They are not any less susceptible to viruses than any other OS. There just aren't as many being written for them as Windows, at this point in time anyway.

  Well there you have it. I know it seems like a lot of trouble and you're right. But such is the sad state of things in today's world. But I know if you follow my example it will work for you as well. I really believe it's more trouble to reload Windows than to employ some of these programs and ideas. Hopefully I've turned you on to a few new programs and or ideas and that you'll try them out. Good Luck. Stay clean.