Seven Security Checklists for Windows 7

If you are new to Windows 7, you will find new features that can help to keep your system and computer secure by reading the security checklist below. Share them to your friends and family if they are buying new PC with Windows 7 this holiday.

Here’s the Security Checklist for Windows 7:

• Backup and Restore - Before you begin installing third-party or modifying settings with your new computer, it's recommended to keep a backup. Windows 7 includes a Backup and Restore feature allowing you to save the backup in another partition, removable or external drives or on a network. Take advantage of this feature to make sure that you will not lose any data in the event of hardware failure or corruption in Windows after installing some buggy third-party software or drivers. A backup scheduler is also available so you don't miss important backup.
• BitLocker - Protect your files using BitLocker Drive Encryption. You can use BitLocker To Go to protect all files on your external or USB flash drives. BitLocker is easy to use and when you take advantage of this feature in Windows 7, you don't have to worry that anyone can simply delete or access your personal files.
• User Account Control - Some are annoyed with UAC in Windows but if you really want to add security in using Windows, UAC should be enabled. This will prevent unwanted modifications by applications that do not have administrative privileges in Windows 7. UAC will notify you if a change in critical areas in Windows is about to happen so make sure you have this enable so you can click "cancel" and start investigating why and which software want to take over your settings or wanting more permissions in Windows 7. Enabling User Account Control in Windows will also enable Protected Mode in Internet Explorer 8, to prevent unwanted changes in IE or in some important areas in Windows.

• Windows Update - You don't have to use Internet Explorer browser to look for Windows Update. A Windows Update application is now in Windows 7 (also in Windows Vista). This feature in Windows 7 allows you to configure when you want Windows to check and install for updates. Keeping Windows (and all software and firmware, in general) up-to-date is the most important defense against known vulnerabilities or attacks that has been fixed by Microsoft or other vendors.
• Windows Defender - The free anti-spyware by Microsoft is shipped in Windows 7. This program is usually compatible with other programs. Make sure that Windows Defender is enabled, if you have not install anti-virus that will also scan for spyware.
• Windows Firewall - Another free protection included in Windows 7 is the two-way and advanced protection by firewall. Be sure to enable Windows Firewall to help prevent unwanted software and hackers from gaining access your PC or network through the internet connection.
• Windows Action Center - Use Action Center in Windows 7 to make sure that the security and maintenance section does not have issues. Issues are flagged by Action Center to remind you if you have not update your computer to protect against security vulnerabilities, no backup has been made to keep your data secure in any event of hardware failure or malware infection that caused corruption or data loss, status of protections offered by anti-virus, anti-spyware or anti-malware and firewall, security settings of Internet settings to prevent unauthorized or unsigned applications to modify or run without your consent, if User Account Control (UAC) is disabled to prevent or alert you when application makes changes to the system and if there are problems on the computer caused by software or drivers that causes performance issue. You can read more how Windows Action Center works in another article.

I hope you will use the above checklists to reach a baseline of security with Windows 7. You might also want to try using Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) to be sure Windows updates are installed properly and that you require no system restart to finalize the installation of any updates. When you're done reviewing the security status in Windows 7, you can start enjoying your new PC!