It is not always possible to run a Linux live CD on a public computer. If you are stuck using a public computer that is running Windows there are some things that you can do to make it more secure. These are steps that you should also take if you run Windows on your own computer. Some of these steps will also expose some of the trojans, spyware, and viruses that may be lurking on the computer.

The following pages will describe the steps on how to make a Windows computer more secure. Ideally these steps should be done immediately after a fresh install of Windows. If you do them after Windows has become infected with trojans, they may not get all the bad stuff out of the computer.

When sitting down at a public computer that is running Windows, the first thing I would do is download Ewido and scan the computer, just to get an idea of how infected the computer might be.

The steps below also illustrate some of the security problems with Windows. When running Linux you do not have to worry about spyware and viruses, and none of the following steps are necessary.

If you would like to recommend other security tools, feel free to leave a comment below.