Takecarewhencleaningyour
PC’sinnards– don’tforgetto
earthyourselffirst.Windows 10
Lock down your PC
May 2020 | |^13
Product on http://www.av-test.org with more
established rivals), it does lack tools to
help protect against wider threats.
Paid-for solutions like Kaspersky
(www.kaspersky.co.uk), Bitdefender
(www.bitdefender.co.uk) and Norton
(https://uk.norton.com) offer a more
comprehensive set of tools to protect
against a wider range of threats.
One of the biggest holes in Windows’
security is its built-in firewall. The irony
is, the Windows Firewall can provide
comprehensive protection, but by
default it only monitors inbound traffic
from other networked devices and the
internet to your computer. Any
connections originating from your PC
– such as software you’ve installed
(including software you may have been
tricked into installing) – are ignored.
The solution is to either install a
dedicated firewall with two-way
protection – a standard feature in
all paid-for products as well as the
free standalone Comodo Firewall
(https://personalfirewall.comodo.com/)
product – or add two-way protection to
Windows Firewall itself. This is done by
installing the Windows Firewall Control
(www.binisoft.org/wfc), which allows
you to create rules for outgoing traffic to
prevent applications and processes from
accessing the internet.
After installation, WFC is set to
continue allowing all outbound traffic
by default – to start filtering it, launch
the program, switch to the Profiles
section and select Medium filtering
(recommended). Also tick the failsafe
Automatically set box. Now switch to
Notifications and select Learning mode
to switch monitoring on. All digitally
signed and trusted apps will be given
network access automatically, but you’ll
start to see pop-up notifications for
other apps. If they’re trusted (not all safe
apps are signed), click Allow this
program; if you’re not sure, Block for
now and ask me later.Go further
It’s not simply malware you need to
be concerned about, but all aspects
of your online life. Now is the time to
tighten the security of your online
footprint by using a password
manager (we recommend Bitwarden- http://www.bitwarden.com)) and two-factor
authentication (manage your codes with
Authy – https://authy.com) to lock down
your online accounts. Take the time to
generate new, lengthy (14 characters
should be sufficient against any brute-
force password attack) and random
passwords for your core online accounts
and switch on 2FA where possible.
Also consider a VPN – particularly
when connecting through insecure
wireless networks. This scrambles your
connection so the data transmitted
can’t be intercepted. Try Windscribe
(https://windscribe.com), which has by
far the most generous free package out
there, offering 10GB per month.
Finally, help ensure all your software
stays updated with the help of Patch
My PC (https://patchmypc.com/
home-updater-overview).Keep your PC clean
Malware isn’t the only threat to your PC’s health
- physical dirt, grime and dust can have a cumulative
effect in shortening its life too, while harbouring
germs that can be detrimental to your own physical
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compressed air to clean out dirt from between the
keys and a non-bleach disinfectant wipe (not too wet)
to clean the tops of the keys afterwards. The same
type of wipes can be used to clean your mouse - focus on the optical sensor beneath it.
$OVRWDNHWKHWLPHWRFKHFNLQVLGH\RXU3&FDVH - you’ll be surprised how quickly dust builds up
inside, leading to increased heat and stress on your
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with a soft brush can help – when trying to clear out
fans, hold the blade to prevent it spinning. Rubbing
alcohol and a cotton swab can be used for a deeper
clean. Focus on removing dust from the components
and keeping the fans and vents clear.
“Generate new, lengthy and random
passwords for your core accounts”
We’re huge fans of a multi-layered approach to online
accounts – strong passwords and 2FA.