New Security Center Features

Windows XP Service Pack 2 introduced the world to the Security Center, which enabled you to see the status of the Windows Firewall, Automatic Updates, and virus protection. It also offered links to various security settings.

The Security Center in Windows Vista remains pretty much the same, except that it now offers two new items in the Security Essentials area, as shown in Figure 6.2:

• Malware Protection This item tells you the current status of Virus Protection (still not included in Windows) and Spyware Protection. That latter is handled by Windows Defender (see "Thwarting Spyware with Windows Defender," later in this chapter).

  Tip

  As in XP, if you have an antivirus program installed that Windows doesn't recognize, you can tell Vista that you'll monitor the program yourself. Click the Show Me Other Available Options link, and then click I Have an Antivirus Program that I'll Monitor Myself.

  
  

• Other Security Settings This item checks your Internet security and User Account Control settings. If you have Internet Explorer's Protected mode enabled, and if you have User Account Control enabled, this item's status shows as OK. If you have Protected mode disabled, or if you have User Account Protection disabled, this item's status shows as Not OK.

Figure 6.2. Windows Vista's version of the Security Center.