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[] ] HOW TO MAKE A WINDOWS PC SECURE AND PRIVATE[ SUPERGUIDE ]How to make a Windows PC
secure and private
THESE ARE THE KEY STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE TO ENSURE YOU WINDOWS DEVICE DOESN’T GET
COMPROMISED — AND ISN’T JUST HANDING OUT YOUR PRIVATE INFORMATION WILLY-NILLY.
[ NATHAN TAYLOR ]FOR GETTING WORK done, most of us still
use a Windows PC, and although Microsoft
has gotten a lot better at security over the
years, it’s still far from flawless. Indeed, one
thing we generally do on new PCs is protect
them from Microsoft’s spying, which has
reached a whole new level. So here’s our quick
guide on optimising Windows for maximum
privacy and security.COMBAT MALWARE WITH
A PROPER ANTIVIRUS SUITE
In the Windows 7 era, Microsoft offered a free
antivirus solution for Windows users in the
form of Security Essentials. In Windows 10,
that’s now integrated into the Windows
Defender system and is part of the base
operating system, which is a positive move.
Unfortunately, when it comes to actual
virus detection Security Essentials/Windows
Defender still lags behind most of the
competition. In the latest AV-Te s t .or g
antivirus benchmarks, for example, only
ThreatTrack’s Viper had worse results.
It’s still a good idea, then, to install
third-party anti-malware. You can get a suite,
but there are also plenty of free stand-alone
anti-malware apps available. We currently
recommend BitDefender AntiVirus FreeEdition (www.bitdefender.com.au/solutions/
free.html), a scanner that also includes filters
against malicious websites.DISABLE MICROSOFT’S PRYING
Microsoft would very much like to know all
about your online activity. Screw ‘em. Time
to turn as much of that off as you can.
Head to ‘Settings > Privacy’ and click on
the General tab. Turn everything to off except
perhaps for SmartScreen Filter, which is
potentially useful.
Still in ‘Settings > Privacy’, click on
‘Feedback & Diagnostics’ down at the bottom
left. Change the Feedback frequency to ‘Never’
and the Diagnostic Data to ‘Basic’.
If you sign in with a Microsoft account,
sign in with a local account instead. Head to
‘Settings > Accounts’. In the ‘Your info’ tab,
click on ‘Sign in with a local account instead’,
then follow the steps to create a password.USE PROPER PASSWORDS
Secure your Windows PC with a lock screen
and a good password. Not a dictionary word
or your first born’s birthday. Passwords don’t
have to be super long, they just need to be
something that a beats a dictionary attack,
where the attacker tries to beat your passwordChange your
sign-in settings
and make sure
you’re using a
good password.This turns off your system’s
ability to send a lot of data to
Microsoft when an app crashes.Turn off all of Microsoft’s
monitoring features.BitDefender’s Free edition.