[ansel12]

I am fastidious about updating and security, although I don’t know the technical details of it all, I have been like that during all my years of computing and it keeps me trouble free.

Here are some ways to harden your XP if you choose to.

Here are some links for “hardening” XP.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=41138

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/secure-windows-xp-after-end-of-support-april-2014

http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/securing-xp-pcs-after-microsoft-drops-support/

http://www.foxguardsolutions.com/resources/details/xp-mitigation-techniques

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-harden-your-browser-against-malware-and-privacy-concerns.htm

http://lifehacker.com/5940565/why-you-should-start-using-a-vpn-and-how-to-choose-the-best-one-for-your-needs

[McGruff]

Some good info from one of your links.

Browsers have historically been a leading gateway for PC infections, and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer had one of the worst reputations. The latest versions of IE — 10 and 11 — are much more secure than their predecessors, but neither runs on XP. IE 8 was the last version of an MS browser to run on XP. So one of the first steps for hardening an XP system? Don’t use IE as your default browser. (You will, however, need to keep it installed and updated.)

Switch to Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as your primary connection to the Internet. And if you use Firefox, add in NoScript to block malicious scripts. Another reason to switch: Google Apps doesn’t support IE 8, but the online service will run in XP-compatible Chrome and Firefox.