Securing your computer

My dad recently called me to let me know that he'd gotten a new computer (without consulting me). We'd talked in the past generally about some options (Windows, Macs, Linux) and their relative strengths and weaknesses. For his sake, I kind of hoped he'd get a Mac, although I'm not an Apple fan. I would have really loved to see him get onto Linux, but I was a bit afraid of that, since I live several hours away. However, he chose the easy path, or not, and purchased a new Windows 7 box.

What prompted this post, and the ones to follow, was part of the conversation we had. As a background, he's been owned a few times in the past and had his box compromised. It's even been rendered unusable, and he's had to pay to get it cleaned up since I moved to another state. I've done what I could when I could, but it was sufficiently irregular to be of limited benefit. Anyway, he said that he guessed he was going to have to learn more this time around so it wouldn't happen to him again.

So, I got thinking about the advice I could give to him and email him. Then, I thought of all the other family members I support, and thought how nice it would be to share with them. I'd done little with this blog (I've been slightly more active with a private one I have), but this seemed like a good use for it. Easily available, easy for me to update so it stays fresh, and easy to direct family members to.

So, I'm going to cover a few items. I'm going to try to start at a high level and then start to zero down. The suggestions I'm going to make are what I'd make based on my experiences and level of expertise (or lack thereof). This will hopefully serve as a one-stop shop for family and friends. What's that? You're neither. Well then, I guess you've just stumbled upon this from a search. You're welcome to use or not use the info herein. But you should probable be aware of the following.

All the standard disclaimers apply. This information comes with no warranty, express or implied. You should follow all recommendations or instructions at your own risk. I try to provide correct information, but it's possible that incorrect or outdated info may show up. What I suggest is geared toward particular known users at a particular skill level. As such, this information may not be the best information for your particular situation. etc. etc.

So, here's a summary of what I plan to cover:
Choice of platform (OS, hardware, etc.)
Securing your OS
Securing your programs
Your browser and you
improving your searches
protecting yourself from malware
protect your identity
passwords
whatever else I think of.

Thanks for reading. I hope you guys find it useful and easy to follow and understand.