Internet Security: The protection of your PC – Part 2

Note: The information presented below make up the second part of our article dedicated to the prevention and protection of your computer. The first part, dedicated to the rules of prevention, is accessible here. The second part, below, is dedicated to ways of protecting and effectively securing your computer.

Protecting and securing your computer

The basic rule is be careful. Even when protected, the execution of an unknown file can be risky.

• Using a limited user account: the use of the programs is identical, but the installation of software and therefore malware is limited.
• Keep your system up to date (OS and Software faults)
• Use an antivirus and an antispyware and keep them up to date. You shouldn’t have absolute trust uniquely in your antivirus.

I Using a limited user account

The Windows 2000, XP and Vista operating systems use the NTFS (New Technology File System) file system.
NTFS allows you to manage the authorizations and restrictions on your files and folders, as well as the users on your computer. It is interesting to note that NTFS was first delivered with Windows servers.

To know whether or not you use this file system:

Click on Start and then My Computer. Right click on the Local disk C:.
In the drop down menu that appears, choose Properties.

You can also use the FAT file system. If this is the case, then it is recommended, for security reasons, that you convert your file system to NTFS, with this tip.

What is a limited account?

In fact, the term is poorly chosen. The word “limited” is a translation error. When comparing systems to Unix, it is a normal user account.

Under Windows, this account has everything that you need to be able to comfortably use the entire operating system, and for those of you that know how, you can administer Windows with one of these accounts.

Choosing to use limited accounts and standards is already a “security strategy” in its own right.