Hardening XP - Who has done this - How to do this?

General Topics
1

I am not on Windows XP but I know a lot of our forum friends still use the OS until 2014.
And I know a lot of institutions that still use XP…
Hardening XP: http://infosecawareness.in/sysadmin/windows-xp-hardening
(link info ISEA Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Govt of India)
Another couple of steps to take: http://blog.patriot-tech.com/blog/bid/13252/How-to-harden-your-Windows-OS-for-maximum-security (link info SaaS)
and what services to disable: http://www.ghacks.net/2007/02/14/harden-xp-by-disabling-services/ (link article author = Martin Brinkmann)
Some may come up with additional info?

polonus

2

Black Viper has some service suggestions at his site. http://www.blackviper.com/

And, he even lists what the defaults are for each OS just in case something goes wrong.

I personally wouldn’t recommend disabling services to an average user. After disabling a service, things may not work as expected and folks may not know how to repair this. There is no restore default button that a person can click on.

3

Agreed.

4

The best way to harden XP = Windows 8 :wink:

5

Bob, you never give up. ;D

6

You’re right. Especially when it’s the truth. :slight_smile:

7

do you like it…the new look?

8

Windows or avast! ???
I like the new avast! interface and never really see the Modern interface in Windows 8.
My system boots straight into the regular desktop. ( Classic Shell )

9

win8…
i have a winows phone, Nokia lumina 800, did not like the tiles in the beginning but the more i use it the better i like it

10

@Pondus. This again will be one of the topics that has it in it to go hopelessly off-topic ;D

on-topic:
So this is not info for the average unaware XP user then. Sys admins on larger institutions that run XP have already fine tuned their hardening, I reckon.

off-topic:
@bob3160.
What about the millions world wide that cannot afford an upgrade to Win8? Remember that MS has to earn back the $733 million fine it had to pay to the EU…

polonus

11

To continue “Off Topic”:
The EU can use the $733 million they just fined MS to purchase windows 8 for those that can’t afford the conversion.

12

Hi bob3160,

As a reply to your off-topic comment.
“Do you really think they are considering that. You suspect there are some holes in their “Commisioner’s coffers”?” ;D

polonus

13

OK just to note: As far as affordability, a month or so ago that shouldn’t have been a condideration. I upgraded from XP to Win8 Pro with Media Centre for about $30 bucks including an Installation CD being mailed for free by using an additional discount code I found on the web offered by Microsoft.
Of course that was then and this is now; but hey it was very doable! :slight_smile:

14

The old adage: He who hesitates is lost.

15

Yeah and I’ve bought a W7 Pro ASUS G75VX Laptop and using it for over 3 months, and I’ve upgrade to W8 Pro and I didn’t realised it turn out to be a Holy 20 x faster Grail laptop with two 480GB SSD Intel 520 ;D ;D ;D