If you use Windows XP, you should have SP2

By ROB PEGORARO
WASHINGTON POST
To get an idea of how Windows got to be such a mess, think of it as a house that was built on an island in the middle of a lake, deep in the countryside.
Because you're so isolated, you don't need to worry about keeping strangers out -- your security rests on being physically separate from the rest of the world.
So it doesn't matter that the windows can be latched shut only with great difficulty, that locks were picked to match the decor (no ugly deadbolts here!) and there's an extra key hidden under the doormat.
Now take that house and move it into the city. Shopping or socializing no longer requires a long drive; all the distractions you might want are right outside. But there are a few burglars in town, and they all know how easy your house is to break into.
In this case, security means making sure that nobody can get in the house unless you open the door yourself. You need to hire a good locksmith.
With a new update called Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, Microsoft is trying to perform the same repairs, making software once built for isolated desks safe on the crowded, bustling Internet.
Most important release
Service Pack 2, "SP2" for short, is Microsoft's most important release since XP itself. It aims to stop viruses, worms, browser hijackings and worse by including security features that people had to add and adjust on their own. (Users of Windows 2000, Millennium Edition, 98 and 95 will still need to do that, since Microsoft has no plans for a comparable update of those systems.)
The most important part of SP2 is a new firewall program to stop break-ins by network worms such as Blaster. Unlike XP's earlier firewall, this one is turned on automatically and protects every connection on a computer -- even if you already have another firewall active. It also watches what your programs do; if one wants to open its own channel of communication with the Internet, you'll need to approve this action.
The need to make this choice for potentially dozens of programs, even Microsoft's own, can be a drag, but the decision should be fairly simple: If you recognize and trust the program, it should be safe to "unblock" its access. But if you've never heard of it, keep blocking it unless things stop working.
Automatic system updates are just as important in Service Pack 2. The first time you boot up a computer after installing SP2, a can't-miss, full-screen alert asks you to allow Windows to download and install Microsoft's security updates automatically.
New control panel
A new Security Center control panel provides quick access to firewall and automatic-update settings, and it checks for active, up-to-date anti-virus software. Though anti-virus protection is essential to Windows security, SP2 doesn't include any; you must install your own.
As part of SP2, the Internet Explorer Web browser now -- finally! -- blocks unsolicited pop-ups. This overdue step eliminates many intrusive ads but also stops hostile Web sites from tricking users into downloading unwanted programs by barraging them with pop-ups.
To police browser-hijacking attempts, IE now restricts the ability of Web sites to push "ActiveX" programs on visitors; the default choice is to decline an ActiveX program, and you can reject all future installations from a Web site with two clicks. ActiveX should be retired -- this inherently insecure Microsoft technology grants a Web site unrestricted access to your computer -- but these changes should at least make a hijacker's job tougher.
When you use Internet Explorer to download new software, Windows will ask if you're sure you want to run each of these programs, even if that's days after its download.
Because of these and other security fixes, I did sometimes have to reload a "download now" page to convince IE that I really wanted the file -- a small price for a safer browser, albeit one still behind such competitors as Mozilla Firefox in its capabilities.