Securing Windows XP can be a real chore if you do not know what you are doing, but there are some really easy ways to protect yourself. As we all know, Microsoft’s OS (Windows) is really insecure and easily hacked. Microsoft, in my opinion, doesn’t tell there users enough about the operating system, hence making new users prone to virus, spyware, and hijacking.
So here are some really easy things to do on your computer help protect your computer.
1-Changing your boot sequence, and setting BIOS password.
A person can easily still all the data on your hard drive by sticking in a live CD, like Knoppix, loading it up, and taking anything they want. They do this by putting in the CD to the drive, restarting your computer, changing the boot sequence to CD first, and booting their CD. When the user is in, they can take you SAM.SAM file (Windows Password File), crack it, and know your passwords.
It is really easy to fix this problem, but keep in mind, this will only discourage the hacker, or make slow him down, but it is not impossible to get around… like any other type of security.
Restart your computer and wait until the boot diagnostic screen tells you that you can enter the CMOS Config. To enter the CMOS config, hold down the key your boot diagnostic screen says, it will most likely be the DEL, F2, or F12 key.
Once you have entered CMOS, get to your boot loader page (all CMOS Configs are different, so I can’t really say where you will find it on your CMOS) Once located, change the setup to: FIRST= Hard Drive, SECOND= Floppy Drive, THIRD= CD Drive.
Now go in CMOS and find your “Set Supervisor Password” and password protect CMOS so a hacker can not change your boot sequence.
Save all changes
It is as easy as that, but remember the CMOS password will only slow down the hacker, or discourages him, if he really wants to get into the CMOS, he must pull the battery from the motherboard, or reset the CMOS by using the jumper on the motherboard.
2-Saving only NT Hash passwords
Microsoft for some reason saves two password hash files when you save a password to say… your user. You get a LM hash file, and a NT hash file. The difference is that NT hash is newer, and more secure, and LM hash has been used since Windows 3.1.
The funny thing is that you DO NOT need the LM hash at all! Your computer will run perfectly fine with out it, making your computer more secure.
So let’s get rid of that nasty LM hash 
Log in as an Administrator
Go to the “Start” menu and click on “Run”
In the “Open:” text box type in “regedit” and click okay.
On the left hand side of the window you will see a tree menu, click on the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Then click on SYSTEM, then CurrentControlSet, then Control, and then Lsa.
On the right side you will see the register file called “nolmhash”, double click and open that.
Change the “Value data:” to 0, and hit OK.
That wasn’t so bad now was it?
3- CTRL+ALT+DEL Real User Check
Some virus are coded to automatically login and begin to execute their code, we can easily stop them but screwing up there login code by making a user push CTRL+ALT+DEL, before logging in. In addition to that, we can change the login from the click and point to a user, to typing the in the Username, hence making your computer more secure (because the hackers won’t know your username).
In addition, say you have a little kid brother, or sister, and they love to screw with your computer. By doing the Real User Check, you can make it harder for them to login.
Log in as an Administrator
Go to the “Start” menu and click on Control Panel. (You may have to type “Control Panel” in your address bar in a explorer window if you do not see it on your start menu)
Go to “User Accounts” Under “Pick a task…” click on “Change the way users log on or off”
Uncheck “Use the Welcome Screen”.
You will now be switched back to the classic login, which is more secure.
4-Make a Lock Screen Shortcut
It is just one of the many human urges we get when we see someone else’s computer, or user logged in and unattended to. One just loves to get on and dink around with another’s stuff to screw it up.
It is so easy just to log off, but we don’t want to because that means closing apps. and when logging back on we would have to load all of are startup items again. So make a handy shortcut right on your desktop that you can easily click and lock the screen allowing no one to make any changes to your computer while not having to close any apps.
Right click on the desktop and click on New> Shortcut.
A wizard will come up and ask you to “Type the location of the item:” Point it to your Windows/System32/rundll32.exe (example: C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe) Click Next
Name the shortcut something like… Lock Screen
YOU’RE DONE! That easy!
Well that was simple.
I hope you found all these tips helpful and trust me, it really does help. Questions are comments may be posted.
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