Analysis of Windows Vista operating system

Security is the foundation of the Windows Vista architecture. With Windows Vista, you'll be able to connect to any user you want to connect to and do whatever you want, and trust Windows Vista to keep your information and your computer safe.

The security features of Windows Vista prevent newly generated threats (such as worms, viruses, and malware). In the unlikely event of a successful intrusion, Windows Vista ensures that damage is minimized.

User Account Protection

By running applications with restricted licenses, Windows Vista User Account Protection bridges the gap between users and administrative privileges. When you need to perform administrative tasks such as installing software or drivers, Windows Vista prompts you to determine your intent or prompt you for credentials.

For example, if you are on the go and download a game that is a Trojan horse, Windows Vista can prevent this game from performing malicious tasks because the user lacks sufficient permissions for the installation. When you need to install a printer driver for a hotel printer, Windows Vista prompts you to verify that you really want to install this printer.

This protection combines the new Protected Mode feature in Internet Explorer to reduce the impact of viruses, spyware, and other types of malware (collectively, "malware").

Preventing the impact of malware

IT departments and individual users spend a lot of time and resources to solve problems caused by malware and try to detect and prevent problems before they occur. Windows Vista includes powerful features to prevent, detect, and remove malware before malware causes problems. Results: Improved computer performance, fewer support calls, and increased security.

Protecting Lost, Lost, or Misappropriated Computers

Advanced data protection technology in Windows Vista reduces the risk of data on your laptop or other computer being viewed by unauthorized users, even The laptop is lost or stolen.

Windows Vista supports full volume encryption to prevent other operating systems from accessing files from disk. It also stores the keys in a Trusted Platform Model (TPM) v1.2 chip. The entire system partition is encrypted, whether it is a dormant file or user data.

Custom Authentication Mechanisms

For many organizations, verifying users with usernames and passwords is not enough to guarantee the required level of security. Windows Vista has improved Smart Card support that makes it easier for developers to implement custom authentication mechanisms such as biometrics and tokens.

Network Access Protection

Viruses and worms can attack a protected internal network with a mobile computer that has not yet downloaded the latest upgrade, security configuration settings, or virus signatures. Mobile users may connect to unprotected networks in hotels, airports, or coffee shops where their computers may be infected with malware or viruses. Windows Vista has network access protection to prevent a compromised computer from connecting to your internal network until it meets your security standards.

Firewall

Windows Vista provides outgoing and incoming filtering, which can be centrally managed through Group Policy. This allows the administrator to control which applications are allowed to communicate on the network or from being blocked on the network. Controlling network access is one of the most important ways to mitigate security risks.

Windows Service Enhancements

In the unlikely event that an intruder finds and exploits a vulnerable service, Windows Service Enhancement will limit the extent of this damage. It does this by preventing damaged services from changing important configuration settings in the file system or registry or preventing them from infecting other computers on the network. For example, you can prevent remote program call (RPC) services from replacing system files or modifying the registry.

Internet Explorer 7 Enhancements

Internet Explorer 7 includes many features that block malicious websites and malware. The new protected mode provides Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista with sufficient permissions to browse the Web, but does not have the authority to modify user settings or data without the user's consent.

To prevent phishing and spoofing attacks, Internet Explorer 7 does the following:

? Highlight the address bar when users access a Secure Sockets-protected site and allow them to easily Check the validity of the site security certificate

? Include a phishing filter that warns the user if the user is accessing a site that is known to be insecure

? Click to clear all cached data