10 things 1. Make a starter CD-ROM 2. Remove the promotional apps 3. Install antivirus software 4. Turn on a software firewall 5. Install printers and other peripherals 6. Establish a password for the administrator account 7. Create a new user account with password 8. Turn off unnecessary Windows services 9. Establish a system restore point 10. Install and configure a router Additional resources Version history Tell us what you thinkPage 1 Copyright ©2005 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.htmlVersion 1.0 September 29, 200510 things you should do to a new PC before connecting it to the Internet By Mark W. Kaelin Takeaway A Microsoft Windows PC that has not been updated for security vulnerabilities will be compromised by some from of malware within minutes of connecting to the Internet. Take steps to protect yourself before you start Web surfing. Table of Contents 10 THINGS.................................................................................................................................................................................1 1. MAKE A STARTER CD-ROM...............................................................................................................................................2 2. REMOVE THE PROMOTIONAL APPS.....................................................................................................................................2 3. INSTALL ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE ..........................................................................................................................................2 4. TURN ON A SOFTWARE FIREWALL.......................................................................................................................................2 5. INSTALL PRINTERS AND OTHER PERIPHERALS ...................................................................................................................2 6. ESTABLISH A PASSWORD FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT .........................................................................................2 7. CREATE A NEW USER ACCOUNT WITH PASSWORD.............................................................................................................3 8. TURN OFF UNNECESSARY WINDOWS SERVICES................................................................................................................3 9. ESTABLISH A SYSTEM RESTORE POINT ..............................................................................................................................3 10. INSTALL AND CONFIGURE A ROUTER................................................................................................................................3 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................................4 Version history...................................................................................................................................................................4 Tell us what you think.......................................................................................................................................................4 10 things It is only natural, when you get a brand new PC, especially one with broadband capabilities built-in, you want to connect to the Internet and see it action. For many, the browser and the World Wide Web are the "killer-apps" of the modern PC—the Internet is what you have a PC for, everything else is just extra fluff. However, connecting to the Internet with a new unprotected and unpatched PC is practically inviting the nefarious and malicious to infect your PC. According to research published by Sophos in July 2005, there is about a 50 percent chance that an unpatched PC will be infected with malicious software within 12 minutes of connecting to the Internet. Once infected, it is almost impossible to get a PC clean again without completely re-installing the operating system. (We are restricting this conversation to Windows PCs for the moment.) To prevent the frustration that comes with re-installing Windows, you should take the necessary steps to update, configure, and patch your new PC. Keep in mind that no matter how new your PC is, it will most likely need patching and it will definitely need to be properly configured. Here are 10 basic things you should do before attaching the Internet to a new PC.10 things you should do to a new PC before connecting it to the Internet 1. Make a starter CD-ROM Before you disconnect your old computer, take a few minutes to burn a starter CD-ROM that contains the latest version of your favorite anti-virus software. I prefer to keep this simple and inexpensive by using AVG from Grisoft, but if you like Norton or McAfee those will work just as well. To save time later, you should put other security applications on this disk like Spybot Search & Destroy, AdAware, etc. It would also be a good idea to include any updated drivers you might need—drivers for your video card for example. Just like Windows, your video card drivers are likely to be a little old also. You should also put drivers on this disk for peripherals that you will be connecting to your new PC, like cameras, scanners, printers, and game interface devices. Having all of these device drivers residing on a single CD-ROM means you will not have to go to the Internet to retrieve them as you set up your new PC. 2. Remove the promotional apps After going through the initial setup process where Windows identifies devices you may be asked to register and/or activate you copy of the Windows operating system—hold off on that for now, you can always do that later. This first thing to do is to clean up the mess that shipped in your PC. You should remove all of the promotional and trial software that you do not intend to use from your new PC. This is usually the first thing I do, because invariably one of those apps will ask if I want to activate it or register it—a process that usually involves accessing the Internet. (Some times they don't ask—they just assume I want them on my pristine PC). At this point you should have no connection to the Internet at all, wireless or not. The applications to be deleted are usually ISPs advertisements like AOL and Earthlink, an antivirus app from a competitor of your current