If your Operating System has a security bug, no amount of firewalls or anti-virus programs will help you. Make sure you're keeping up to date. For Windows users, the process is mostly automatic or you can go to their update website here (but only when using Internet Explorer).

Since XP service pack 2, there is a security center where you can modify your automatic update settings. For people with fairly basic computer skills the best options is to leave the process entirely automatic. But for people who would like to review the updates before installing them (since sometimes Microsoft sneaks non-critical software updates into the security patches), try "Download but don't install" instead.

Win XP Security Center

De-select unwanted updates

The reason is that Microsoft has a nasty habit of slipping non-system updates into the downloads. It's always better to preview the stuff that's about to download before you let it install on your machine. You'll be able to choose with checkboxes which updates to accept and which to reject.

One last thing, be sure to always download and install the most recent version of Internet Explorer. Even though I don't use it and I recommend you don't either, since it's part of the operating system, it's part of the system's security (or it's weakness if it's out of date). Keep it current!

Remember that every Operating System has security problems, even Macs. Make sure to keep regular with the updates.

(Image used under: Creative Commons 2.0 [SRC])

Microsoft slipped another bomb into their "critical updates" in the form of a Windows Desktop Search. The reports say that besides being an unwanted feature, it has been slowing machines down considerably.

The worst part is that somehow Microsoft thinks they can change the way our machines work without our consent. But this wouldn't be the first time.

Microsoft dirty trick: installing stuff you don't need or want

(Image used under: Creative Commons 2.0 [SRC])

The Windows Updater is supposed to patch your system against critical flaws and exploits. To make things easier for normal users, there's an "Express Install" button where you don't have to review each update one at a time and can just trust Microsoft to install only the most security critical patches.

Enter the Windows Genuine Advantage notification tool. It tool doesn't protect you or do anything at all to help your system, it collects data about your computer and declares your copy of Windows legal or not. In millions of cases, it wrongly identifies systems as being "pirated" and nags users repeatedly about having an illegal copy and how to contact Microsoft for a legitimate one. Even worse, it locks you out of further security updates until you do.

To make sure that you don't miss WGA, they slipped it into IE7, Windows Defender, and Windows Media Player 11. But the worst of all was issuing it as a "critical update" on Windows updater. This way, anyone who clicked the "Express Install" button would get it by default without knowing better.

It's because of practices like this that geeks don't like Microsoft. They slipped a tool onto your machine that spies on your system and disables functionality. Sounds like a virus to me.

So why am I posting such old news now? First, I haven't talked about this before and it really ticks me off. Second, the WGA made PC World's 20 all time most annoying tech products (at number 9).