E-Mail:

Windows 7 Security

4 Responses (Yours?) | Wednesday, October 21st, 2009     « Previous   Next »

« Previous | Next »


Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

I took several live calls earlier tonight to talk to people in the community about Windows 7. I wanted to get their honest reactions – find out what they love and hate. One of the calls was with my assistant, Kat. She’s been a Microsoft MVP in the area of Windows Security for over four years now, and has been considered an Expert in the malware removal community for about seven years. We talked a bit about the security side of Windows 7, and her take on the new operating system in general.

Kat and her fiancee, Mike, have been using Windows 7 for quite awhile. Being an MVP, she gets to help beta test versions sooner than many “normal” users would get to. From the very start, she’s been excited and happy about this new version of Windows. Kat feels it’s much more secure out of the box, even without added protection software. However, she reminds us all that even expert users need to use security programs, such as an anti-virus and firewall. Many of the old security bugs found in earlier versions of Windows have been addressed, and Microsoft is much closer to making a completely secure operating system than they ever have been.

A few of the chatters in our live channel asked her about Microsoft Security Essentials. Kat praised it highly. It has good detection rates, is light on resources, and just plain works. She’s still hesitant to say it’s the “best” there is, and I’d have to agree with that. However, it IS very good, and something she recommends to people.

We talked a little about different features and functions found within Windows 7. I have to ask… what’s YOUR favorite features, and why? What do you love about Win 7? Is there even anything you don’t love? I sure haven’t found any on my end.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

Tags
Categories

4 Comments

Bob KAy

October 22nd, 2009
at 12:37am

How can you guys still go through this Misery Again?
HAve you not learned yet?

Can’t bother with any windows,,,,,,,,7, 8, 2000, xp, Nt ,
Get a MAC,, HANds up or Hands down,,,,,,
And get happy forever!!
I think Snow Leopard its called,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I don’t want a snowy window,,,,

h.p. mueller

October 22nd, 2009
at 1:31am

did microsoft copy 50% from OS X or is it more?

BSLO

October 22nd, 2009
at 9:53am

Thanks for the resourceful review!

I got my first look at Windows 7 this week and my initial reaction was “so far, so good.”

“So far” being the key phrase of that statement.

New operating systems are almost always an improvement, and will almost always generate some sort of enthusiasm or buzz within the first couple months.

But until the user sits down and gets a feel for what a new OS is all about (outside the VirtualBox), you’re not going to understand the product’s deficiencies … or its notable improvements.

The reality being you need at least 4-6 months under your belt before you can conclude how successful an OS is for you. And that’s the bottom line, how successful is this system to you and your work environment?
Here are my Top 7 reasons Windows 7 could be a success, and Top 7 reasons it could be a failure:

http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/Windows_7/Windows-7-Review-Seven-Reasons-Windows-7-Could-be-a-Success-Failure.html

Aryeh Goretsky

October 22nd, 2009
at 3:10pm

Hello Kat and Chris,

I watched your Windows 7 Security video with interest and wanted to share with you some of Windows 7’s other security features:

AppLocker – A set of policies which allow organizations to white list applications so that only authorized applications can be run, but with more than just a binary yes/no decision. You can, for example, white list programs and still allow them to be updated.

ASLR, DEP, NAP (client), and PatchGuard (kernel patch protection) are all carried over from Microsoft Windows Vista.

Biometric Framework – a new framework for fingerprint readers to standardize how these devices are supported in the operating system. I use a fingerprint reader on both my desktop and notebook computers and often this is a more
convenient means of authenticating than typing in a passphrase. Hopefully this will lead to more widespread adoption of this technology.

BitLocker improvements – In Windows Vista, BitLocker initially could only be used on the boot volume. It was extended via service pack to other disk volumes, but they still had to be directly-attached drives. In Windows 7, a new version of BitLocker called BitLocker Go extends this technology to USB flash drives and removable hard disk drives, and provides a client for downlevel operating systems as well.

DirectAccess – Provides connections for remote workers without the complexity of setting up a VPN.

DNSsec support – Adds support for digitally signed DNS data, which can help protect against certain kinds of DNS attacks.

IEEE-1667 support – The IEEE standard for uniform and secure USB flash drive authentication is now supported.

Windows Firewall improvements – Support for multiple profiles and multi-homed network connections.

User Account Control improvements – In Windows Vista, User Account Control was either on or off. With Windows 7, Microsoft has introduced more granular settings.

There are also improvements in other areas, like better Smart Card handling and support for PKU2U. With all that’s new in Windows 7, though, I haven’t had a chance to try everything yet.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

What Do You Think?