Security  

Security

Windows Vista is engineered to be the most secure version of Windows yet. The new features in Windows Vista help to give you the control and confidence you need to get the most out of your PC.

Read more below…

1. A PC protected from viruses, worms, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software
2. A safer online experience for you and your family
3. An understanding of when your PC is unsafe, and the control and guidance to help improve your security

User Account Control

User Account Control (UAC), a new set of features in Windows Vista, helps strike a balance between the flexibility and power of an administrator account and the security of a standard user account.

Activities such as surfing the Web, sending e-mail, and using productivity programmes don't require special administrative privileges. Windows Vista makes it easy to perform these activities and be productive using standard user accounts.

When you want to perform an administrative task, like installing a new program, Windows Vista prompts you to verify that you want to install the program before allowing that administrative task to run. This way, the use of administrator privileges is minimised, making it more difficult for malware, such as viruses, worms, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software, to have machine-wide impact on your PC.

UAC also helps protect family computers from malware. Often malware is hidden in programmes that appeal to children. To help protect your computer, you can create standard user accounts for your children. When your child tries to install a piece of software, the system will ask for an administrator account's password. Your children cannot install new programs by themselves.

Better protection from malware

Malware, such as viruses, worms, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software, can cause a wide range of problems, including theft of personal information, slower PC performance, and the appearance of unwanted advertising (such as pop-up ads). The effects of malware can range from mere annoyances to significant problems that take a considerable amount of time and money to fix.

Microsoft believes the best approach to stopping malware is to layer security features. Windows Vista contains many security features that help prevent malware from installing, and that help find and remove malware if it has already been installed:

Security alerts enable you to quickly resolve potentially damaging issues that can harm your Windows Vista PC.

• Automatic Updates and Windows Security Center can help you keep your PC up to date with the latest security patches, and also alert you when your PC needs to install an update.
• Windows Vista firewall helps protect you from hackers, viruses, and worms that try to reach your computer over the Internet.
• Windows Defender helps protect you against spyware and other potentially unwanted software.
• And the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) periodically scans your PC looking for known prevalent viruses. (The MSRT is not part of Windows Vista but may be downloaded from Microsoft at no additional cost.)

In addition to using these built-in Windows Vista features, you should help keep your computer healthy by using antivirus software such as Windows OneCare or an antivirus solution from one of Microsoft's partners. Whichever option you choose, remember to update your antivirus software regularly. These updates are generally available through a subscription from your antivirus vendor.

Together, these tools can help you protect your PC from malicious software.