Still looking for a good reason to trade Windows XP in for Windows 7? One word: Security. The new OS is inherently better at fighting infections, blocking hackers and thwarting phishing attempts. And with the extra tools described here, you can lock it down like a digital Fort Knox.

Install Microsoft Security Essentials.

Windows 7 comes equipped with some solid security tools, including a robust firewall and the spyware-blocking Windows Defender. On top of that, you will need a good antivirus program, one that works quietly in the background and won’t bog down your system.

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection against viruses and other kinds of malware, and it’s impact on your performance pc is negligible.

It could be a great alternative to paying an annual fee for virus protection, and whether you use XP, VIsta or 7 you should think about giving it a go and may even find it speeds up your pc.

Install Web Of Trust.

The seemingly innocent act of clicking a link – even one that’s at the top of a Google search-results page – can result in ‘drive-by downloads’ infecting your PC. Scary, right? But how do you know whether a link is safe to click?

Try Web of Trust, a browser add-on that will warn you of unsafe sites.

Specifically, the plug-in adds colour-coded icons to each link that your search engine produces: green for safe, yellow for risky and red for dangerous.

You can also right-click any link, such as one that appears in an online forum, and choose View WOT scorecard to perform a manual safety check.

WOT is free, and available for both Firefox and Internet Explorer. Although its rating icons add a little clutter to some web pages, we recommend it very highly for anyone concerned about security and looking for a quick and easy way to check for ‘dodgy’ pages.