All it takes to properly secure your computer or network against spyware, hackers, and other malicious activity can be summed up in eight easy steps. We will walk through each item together, and I will explain briefly what each step does, why it is needed, and the effects it will have. DO NOT WORRY if you think this is too complex: as long as you can read and follow along, you should not have problems.
There are only a few important rules to remember: one, read everything here and the following pages in full. As long as you follow my instructions exactly, the odds of you having trouble are very small and you can almost always undo the changes.
Second, items in BOLD are meant to call your attention to specific actions. Usually, BOLD text means you should type something exactly as it appears.
Third, everything here has been tested and works on Windows 98 computers, but should apply just as well to other versions of Windows unless otherwise noted. Some items and menus may have slightly different names in other versions of Windows.
All the software I recommend in the following pages is free, unless otherwise noted. The only item you might have to buy is a virus scanner. Keep in mind that, although you should follow each step from beginning to end, you are not obligated to do every step although it is strongly recommended that you do so that you get the maximum protection possible. In other words, it is best to finish what you start, but you don't have to start a step you don't want to do.
As always, please back up your computer before making changes.