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Keep your system lean - Remove unused or unnecessary software packages and turn off unused services. Every application, utility, and service running on a computer has the potential to be exploited by an attacker, worm, virus, or Trojan. Reducing the number of programs and services helps reduce the exposure footprint of your system and helps reduce the amount of effort needed to patch, maintain, and secure that system.

Turning off unused services can also reduce memory load and increases system responsiveness. Uninstalling unused software helps reduce disk usage and improves performance of utilities such as virus scanning software and disk defragmentation utilities.

When installing any operating system it is often faster (and more secure) to start with a minimal installation and add the capabilites and software packages you need rather than installing every available option and utility.

Reference links for more information:

How to uninstall or change programs in Windows Vista

How to uninstall or change programs in Windows XP

To remove or change software programs on a UNIX system please refer to the supplied documentation.

 

© 2009 The Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security