Find out what the government says you need to do to make Windows secure.

With all of the viruses and hacking going on, it's no wonder that more and more people are interested in securing their computers. Fortunately, the National Security Agency recently released detailed PDF documents full of great information to help you secure your PC.

I took the time to read quite a bit of the documents, and on today's show, I'll tell you what I found. You can read the documents for yourself by clicking on the links below.

National Security Agency: Security Recommendation Guides


Tips
Before you download and read the documents, here are three quick security tips you can perform in Windows XP.
  • Turn on security
    If you upgraded from Windows 95/98 or ME you should convert your file system from FAT to NTFS. NTFS offers several advantages over FAT, like file encryption. Learn how to convert your file system in Windows XP.

  • Encrypt your documents
    After you convert to NTFS, you can encrypt your files. Right-click on the folder that houses your document and choose Properties. Then click on Advanced and then choose "Encrypt contents to secure data." This action enables file encryption. Don't just encrypt the file. Encrypt the directory in which it resides in. Any temp files that are created when opening the document are also encrypted.

  • Disable ICMP
    Hackers often use ping sweeps to find computer targets. Ping sweeps involve using ping commands that are sent to your computer and your computer responds to the ping. Your response is basically telling the hacker, "Hey I'm here, attack me." Turn off ICMP in your Windows firewall and your computer will act like it's turned off to ping requests. Here's how.
    1. Open Network Connections
    2. Click the connection for which Internet Connection Firewall is enabled.
    3. Click Properties.
    4. Click on the Advanced tab.
    5. Click Settings.
    6. Click the ICMP tab.
    7. Uncheck the boxes and click OK.