Windows 7 Security Enhancements
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If you've been holding off on upgrading your Windows XP operating system because of all the security headaches associated with Windows Vista, take heart; from all accounts, Microsoft got the message. Windows 7, released in beta in January and likely to be available to the general public in a few months, is not only less annoying than Vista, but also more secure. Keep reading for the lowdown.
Discussions of new Windows security enhancements have sent cyberspace aflutter; while the IT world is trying to prepare for the new advancements, office employees everywhere are rejoicing at the prospect of having to deal with less UAC prompts . Even though it has become increasingly apparent that in the tech world, advancements are made at lightning speed, Windows XP, which is eight years old, still powers 71 percent of all PCs, according to a recent report from Forrester .
Essentially, this translates to millions of users that Microsoft must convince to upgrade to the upcoming Windows 7 . This shouldn’t be too difficult, especially when taking into account Window’s new security enhancements, sure to impress even the most hardened of PC users. Let’s take a look at some of Window’s new security features and how they’ve been designed to help both home users and IT pros alike.
The Enhancements
According to Microsoft, Windows 7 will make remote connectivity to corporate networks seamless, protect data on thumb drives, and offer fewer user account control prompts to bug users when compared to Vista. Windows 7, which was released in public beta in January, will have 29 percent fewer user account control (UAC) prompts than Windows Vista has, and fewer prompts in general, according to Paul Cooke, director of Windows Client Enterprise Security.
It should come as no surprise that the always-efficient software giant has begun an education blitz about the security features of the newest version of its operating system, and what better place to begin the outreach to the public than at the start of the RSA Security Conference 2009 ? Updates concerning new security features can always be found online as well, thanks to the director of Windows Client Enterprise Security.
Recently, Cooke updated The Windows Security Blog with details on the new Windows 7 operating system, specifically the security features that will benefit the mobile worker. His update stems from hands-on experience at this week's RSA Conference, addressing five security features: Multiple Active Firewall Policies, DirectAccess, BranchCache, BitLocker To Go, and AppLocker. "We’re really excited about Windows 7’s new security features," Cooke said. "This next OS is built upon the proven security technologies in Windows Vista and provides a fundamentally secure computing platform. We not only utilized enhanced Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) process during planning, development, and testing, but we also have worked to make the security features more discoverable, usable and manageable. These enhancements give Windows 7 the expanded security offerings to provide the necessary security controls to help mobile workers access the information they need to be productive, wherever and whenever they need it."
The first segment of Cooke’s blog, Multiple Active Firewall Policies, describes how mobile users can create security problems when connecting to multiple networks on the road (while also connecting to the company network). Windows 7 eliminates the problem by enabling the PC to obtain and apply domain firewall profile information regardless of other networks that may be active on the PC. IT Pros can maintain a single set of rules for both remote clients and physically connected clients. Let’s take a closer look at this new security enhancement.
Next: Multiple Active Firewall Policies >>
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