fixes from Microsoft. In the geek community we all know the 2nd Tuesday of every month is called “Patch Tuesday”, when the team from Redmond send out the latest security fixes to plug holes and fix vulnerabilities in the OS, hardware drivers –including wireless patches, and other installed software like MS Office.

sshot-2010-08-23-[19-31-55]

However, some vital patches might be released before then so make sure you’re receiving Automatic Updates. You don’t have to have them download and install automatically, but you can have Windows notify you when fixes are available and you can research if you want to add them or not. When in doubt, it’s usually best to just install the updates, and keep note of what they are so you can uninstall them if you find something isn’t working.

sshot-2010-08-20-[22-43-09]
Update Antivirus Software

This should also go without saying, but keeping your Antivirus software is extremely important on all of your machines especially on a large public network where there can be a lot of malicious software lurking.

sshot-2010-08-19-[23-42-34]

While Microsoft Security Essentials is our favorite, no matter what brand you use, make sure Real-time scanning is enabled.

sshot-2010-08-23-[19-34-54]
Use Best Judgment

    * Get to know the folks who are operating the Wi-Fi Hotspot. Ask them the type of encryption they are using on the router and if they seem to know basic Wi-Fi security. If not, you might want to use a different location – especially if