Are you paranoid about security with your Windows setup?  As a professional computer user, I try to always have a set of practices that I follow in order to ensure my PC is safe from spyware and viruses:

1. Security Hotfixes and Patches – Get the OS updated regularly for security and vulnerability related patches. Visit http://update.microsoft.com to see applicable patches for your system.  Don’t like using IE or hate Window’s bloated patches?

Try WindizUpdate: http://windizupdate.com/ which works well with Firefox and offers only updates that you need:

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2. Antivirus Software – Install antivirus and anti-spyware software. Symantec offers Symantec Antivirus and it is one of the best paid anti-virus tools out there. Another favorite of mine is Kaspersky antivirus.

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If you are looking for a free solution (but maybe not as complete as the paid versions) you may also try Spybot, ClamWin or Avast. They offer free ,but limited versions of their products, so you can try them out and perhaps upgrade to the paid version once you decide that it is worth it.

If you are running an antivirus, make sure you update their virus definitions.  Here is our post on how to update a Symantec Antivirus software.

3. Firewall – Use a personal firewall like CyberArmor. CyberArmor is a centrally managed personal firewall that protects end user systems from network attacks. It supports environmentally sensitive policies that dynamically change based on the user’s activities, and offers granular control over system activity and network traffic.

If you don’t have CyberArmor in Windows Vista or 7, make sure to turn the Windows Firewall as discussed on this post.

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Beware not to overdo things – one good antivirus is enough – do not install more than one antivirus as they could just cause conflicts within themselves and not to mention the slowdown of the whole system.

Ben Carigtan shows you how it’s done!