Security Center

With the onslaught of spam and malicious viruses and other code, Microsoft realized that XP users needed a single place to turn to for monitoring and controlling their systems' security. True, XP already incorporated an Internet firewall and the Windows Update technology. And true also, various anti-viral programs such as Norton and McAfee were available from third parties. The problem is that too many users got lost poking around Windows to make adjustments to each of these services. Many purchased third-party firewalls, not knowing one was built into XP. (Admittedly, however, Norton's and Zone Alarm's firewalls have more features.) The Security Center applet was added as an antidote for this shortfall. When opened from Control Panel, it appears as shown in Figure 24.9.

Figure 24.9. The Security Center provides central access to firewall, Windows updates, and virus protection settings.

Notice that handy links are also provided for other security concerns such as Internet security (usually only reachable from the Internet Options applet, or the Tools menu in Internet Explorer), and there's a link also to the System applet. As we mentioned earlier in this chapter, you'll find coverage of Firewall and Auto Updates in other chapters. Virus protection is not provided by Microsoft with XP. Maybe in the future it will be, in Microsoft's inimitable style of co-opting other non-MS technologies. In the meantime, click on the Recommendations button should you desire anti-viral protection. You'll be led by the hand to sites where purchasing of third-party applications will be made easy for you. Once you install an anti-virus program, you most likely can alter its settings through this control panel interface. As the dialog box states, however, not all programs will be recognized by Windows. If yours isn't, then you'll have to resort to the anti-virus program interface to make adjustments.