add MSAS & ban AOL
Not mentioning the FREE Microsoft AntiSpyware specifically and is a significant omission and step 1 should include a firewall, rather than mentioning it as an afterthought in step 4.
I wouldn't consider a router merely "another significant" layer; it should be considered an ESSENTIAL layer of protection.
Unfortunately, the last time I allowed AOL to be installed on a system, it created a VPN tunnel right through my router (with VPN pass-through as a feature), defeating that layer of protection. For the first time ever, the Norton Internet Security log was showing all kinds of port scans and hacking attempts that had never been able to get that far before.
While their VPN was protecting my AOL connection from outsiders, it was opening up my system to all the hackers from within the AOL community.
I don't know if AOL still does that (I haven't allowed it to be installed since v6 or 7), but that was enough reason to ban it from my system. I was only installing it for the trial period so I could help to support a client using it, but that client is on their own now!
