Excellent point. So, one needs to find a new AV program for XP.
Also maybe a firewall and browser setup that works well with the AV.
I use this setup, works well, seems pretty secure:
Outpost FW, v-2009 6.5.1 ... free
Avast! AV, v-2014.9 (latest) ... free
SpywareBlaster v- latest ... free
Sandboxie v-3.76 ... paid but the free version works great if you only want to sandbox the web browser
Powershadow v- 2.6 ... registered.
Powershadow is the biggie here. If all else fails, just shut off the computer and any changes, good or bad, are gone.
If the OS works and outside forces can not change it, it seems it would be safe. What am I missing here?
No sarcasm intended, really just don't see the flaw in that logic.
Arguments invited. ![:)]()
Some malwares have emerged that can compromise the BIOS itself, or a hardware called the "Trusted Platform Module" (TPM).
I do not think Powershadow would protect against these.
Afaik, my older computers do not have the TPM so I didn't research that area much.
As to the BIOS, I just use a variety of free apps to watch what the computer is up to.
I may be whistling in the dark here, but I don't see this setup falling to malware, but maybe to incompatibility issues as time goes on.