Security and safety features of Windows Vista

There are a number of security and safety features of Windows Vista that are not available in prior versions of Windows operating system.

The security and safety features of Windows Vista are as follows:

1. User Account Control: User Account Control (UAC) is a security feature introduced with Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system. It helps in preventing unauthorized changes to a user’s computer. UAC asks the user for permission or an administrator password before performing actions that could potentially affect a computer’s operation or that change settings that affect other users. It improves the safety and security of the computer by preventing harmful programs from making changes to the computer. This feature works with Windows Defender and Internet Explorer 7 to help reduce the impact of viruses, spyware, and other threats.
2. Bitlocker Drive Encryption: BitLocker Drive Encryption (BitLocker) is a feature of Windows Vista. It is used to protect all files stored on the drive Windows is installed on. It encrypts the entire system drive and helps block hackers from accessing the system files they rely on to discover user passwords. BitLocker also prevents hackers from accessing the hard disk by removing it from a computer and installing it on a different computer.

   Note: BitLocker can only help protect files that are stored on the drive Windows is installed on.

3. Windows Firewall: Windows Firewall is a set of related programs configured to protect private networks connected to the Internet from intrusion. It is used to regulate the network traffic between different computer networks. It permits or denies the transmission of a network packet to its destination based on a set of rules. A firewall is often installed on a separate computer so that an incoming packet does not get into the network directly.
4. Windows Defender: Windows Defender is a software product designed by Microsoft to provide continuous security against malware. If it detects anything suspicious, an alert will appear on the screen. Windows Defender can also be used to scan a computer for suspicious software. It can remove or quarantine any malware or spyware it finds.
5. Windows Parental Controls: The Parental Controls feature in Windows Vista enables parents to determine which games their children can play, which programs they can use, and which Web sites they can visit. Parents can also restrict computer usage to certain times of the day through this feature by configuring the settings in the Parental Controls panel. This panel provides a centralized location to turn Parental Controls on and off, to block or allow specific programs, games, and Web sites, and to set controls for every aspect of a child’s computer use.

   Parents can also review activity report that shows how their children have been using the computer. Monitoring the children’s activity on the computer not only makes it easy for parents to keep track of what they are seeing, hearing, and doing, but also enables to refine and modify parental controls.

6. Encrypting File System (EFS): Encrypting File System (EFS) is a feature of Windows that allows a user to store the information in the hard disk in an encrypted format. Encryption is the strongest protection that Windows provides to help a user to keep the information secure. Using this technology, files are transparently encrypted on NTFS file systems. It helps in protection of confidential data from attackers who have physical access to the computer.
7. Data Execution Prevention: Data Execution Prevention is a security feature included in modern Windows operating systems. It prevents viruses and other security threats from executing malicious code from a non-executable region that is only used by Windows and other programs. This type of attack causes damage by taking control over one or more memory locations that are used by other programs. DEP runs in two modes: Hardware-enforced DEP and Software-enforced DEP. Hardware-enforced DEP is developed for CPUs that are able to mark memory pages as non-executable. Software-enforced DEP is developed for CPUs that do not have hardware support.
8. Digital Rights Management: Digital Rights Management is a term used for protection of digital media. Its purpose is to prevent illegal distribution of copyrighted material on the Internet. Microsoft introduces some Digital Rights Management features in Windows Vista, to help digital content providers to protect their data from being copied. They are as follows:
   1. PUMA: Protected User Mode Audio (PUMA) is the new User Mode Audio (UMA) audio stack. It provides an environment for audio playback that restricts the copying of copyrighted audio.
   2. Protected Video Path – Output Protection Management (PVP-OPM): Protected Video Path – Output Protection Management (PVP-OPM) is a technology that prevents copying of protected digital video streams, or their display on video devices that lack equivalent copy protection.
   3. Rights Management Services (RMS): Rights Management Services (RMS) is a technology that allows corporations to apply DRM-like restrictions on documents, e-mail, and intranets to protect them from being copied, printed, or even opened by people not authorized to do so.
9. Application Isolation: Windows Vista introduces Mandatory Integrity Control to set integrity levels for processes. Mandatory Integrity Control is a new feature in Windows Vista Integrity Levels (IL) to processes running in a login session.. A low integrity process cannot access the resources of a higher integrity process. This feature is used to enforce isolation on applications that have medium integrity level and cannot interrupt system level processes that are running in high integrity level, but can hook onto lower integrity processes. Windows Vista defines four Integrity Levels: Low, Medium, High, and System. By default, the processes start in Medium Integrity Level.

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