It is important to periodically run a vulnerability scan to check the software on your computer. Secunia.com provides tools to either perform an online (Online Software Inspector) or offline (Personal Software Inspector) scan of your Windows machine. Use one of those tools to scan your computer. Print out the report and write a brief explanation of the issues identified and how to fix them.

Alternative assignment for non-Windows computers: Visit the Center for Internet Security website (www.cisecurity.org). Navigate to the list of “Configuration Benchmarks” and download the latest benchmark for the operating system on your computer. Compare the recommendations in that list to your current settings. Write a brief report that explains what you need to do to more securely configure your computer.