Grand Rockies

A recent piece Redmond Magazine not on the day - it was in August 2004 - Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

At this moment, forcing businesses, according to the writer, many believe, was a mistake: it is turned on the default host-based Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). The problem, he says, is that the machine firewall based on accrued within an organization is an effort “Herculean task”, which guarantee a high level of application testing and adjusting the configuration. The complexity forced many administrators simply disable ICF.

The position of this story is that the ICF is perhaps a security tool, at least in a certain application. The writer said that it is always difficult to implement within the ICF of the company, but also the fact that the “standard profile” is activated when the device is out of the connection through networks. This can be a blessing for the safety of machinery for connection to dangerous environments such as cafes and airports. The play is based on a good amount of detail, why and how is it worked well.

Security people like to compare the safety: Open Source compared to the owners, Mac versus Windows Vista compared to XP, and so forth. A piece in recent Jesper’s Blog was inspired by a letter to Jeff Jones’ Security Blog - A link is available - suggest that the security of Vista, it is better than XP and other operating systems.

In his letter, Jesper Johansson finds that much of the comparison between Vista and XP, is based on the safety of operating systems for each “first year in the region. Therefore insignificant, but, as regards how XP works. For them, the most important thing is to compare how each operating system.

The long piece leads to different conclusions. He pointed out that Vista had fewer security vulnerabilities than XP, and the Open Source Firefox has had more events “patch” as Internet Explorer on XP or Vista.

A recent piece Info World indicated that Vista, security is much better than in previous operating systems Microsoft, but that is the price over the participation of users and the inconvenience caused. User Access Control (UAC) is an option to reduce nuisance for users, permission every time a piece of software for installation. During that safety improved significantly, it may be too heavy. Yes, some companies offer software that automates the process and provides out-of-the-ordinary situations to draw the attention of users.

The story also explains the encryption function BitLocker. BitLocker crypt of the entire C drive or nothing. Some questions have circumcised, for organizations such as encryption of a partition D, and the song has difficulty in deciphering data on the machines, the staff of the withdrawal.

Even if Vista is the immediate future of Microsoft operating systems, there is a large installed base of users of XP. The company is in process of enlargement of the introduction of Windows XP Service Pack 3, which should be the last update for Windows XP. WindowsSecurity.com terms of communication, which are not changes. There is, however, due to changes in security. Network Access Protection (NAP) XP-compatibility allows you to use the functions of the NPA in Windows Server 2008. This is similar Network Access Control (NAC), which approaches to aircraft requested permission to participate in a network security to consider and, if necessary, be quarantined and its software cleaning and / or be made day. This is particularly useful for mobile devices.

There are also additional encryption on the kernel, adds the ability to recognize that the router package; simple deployment of the IP Security (IPSec), Virtual Private Networks, Digital Identity Management Service (DIM), and enables access seamless on the certificates, private keys for applications and services and the addition of the security of Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2).

Last month, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the first products that have reached automation Content Security Protocol (SCAP) certified. Network World reported that the products Gideon Technologies, elements and threats Secure Guard This is the realization of a mandate from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) in July of last year, the NIST for a programme of the Federal Republic of completing Core Desktop Configuration (FDCC), the default setting for the monitoring of computer security of the Confederation, with Vista and XP.