6 easy steps to keep your Windows XP machine's security intact.

The Windows XP shutdown has come..and gone but millions of users are still holding on to the legacy operating system and refuse to upgrade, it is important for them to secure their systems.

Windows is not the go to OS when it comes to security and privacy of its users but if you are security conscious, I would recommend that you switch to Linux which is the most secure OS available.



We suggest following these points to secure your systems from outside threats.

1. Virtualize Windows XP

If you are still holding on to legacy applications or softwares and are stuck with Windows XP, it is better to virtualize and run Windows XP on top of a secure OS like Windows 8 and revert back to Windows XP when need be.

2. Avoid using Administrator account

According to a study carried out by Avecto, 92 percent of all critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft security bulletins can be exploited successfully only if the user is logged with administrative rights. Making users log in to standard accounts can minimize the overwhelming security risks.

3. Do not connect to the internet

If you are using software or apps or are using Windows in a manner that does not require internet connection, then don't connect to the internet to remain safe from all the harms that internet is hosting.

4. Turn off Autorun functionality

The easiest way to infect your Windows PC is turning the autorun feature on which will cause the executable files in the removable drives to run automatically and in turn infecting your system.

5. Do not use Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer supported for Windows XP is very vulnerable and the latest, stable and secure version comes with the latest version of Windows, so it is very wiseful to use either latest version of Chrome or Mozilla Firefox or Opera which is my personal favorite.


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6. Use available security features of Windows XP

There are still security features available in Windows XP which of course are not upto today's standards but can keep you relatively secure if you are following above precautions. For example, make sure, firewall is turned on and you have the latest Microsoft Security Essentials.

Final Thoughts

Windows XP support ended in 2014 and Windows XP is now legacy OS, if you have sensitive data on your machine, then you should definitely upgrade to the latest version and better yet switch to Linux.

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