Microsoft says Windows 7 operating system is the platform most secure Windows ever created to date. But emprsa been saying that every new operating system version that throws in the last 15 years. And at all times, the argument was correct.
Of course, Microsoft is a huge marketing around the new operating system, but there are considerable improvements in the security. Improvements that affect more the user is doing (or considering doing) migration to Windows 7 from XP (many of the changes already existed in Vista). Let them.
Protection of the core
The kernel is the heart of an operating system and, therefore, the main target for every kind of plague and other attacks. Basically, if a cracker can access or manipulate the operating system kernel, it will be able to execute malicious code on a level that is undetectable by other applications or the operating system itself.
Microsoft has developed a way of protecting the kernel processes to prevent unauthorized access to the core of Windows 7.
In addition to protecting the kernel, Microsoft has promoted other major adjustments since the release of Windows XP to protect the operating system. Many types of attacks occur because the criminal knows where virtual a specific function or command resides in system memory, or because they perform attacks through files, which in theory should contain only data.
The ASLR (Address Space Layer Randomization) hinders this type of action by making random - so unexpected - the location of key operations of the operating system. Microsoft implemented the DEP (Data Execution Prevention) to prevent files that were supposed to contain only data that are stored or a reserved area for data to run code of any kind.
Safe Browsing
Windows 7 brings the latest browser version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 . Even those who are not using the new operating system can download and use IE8 with previous versions of Windows, the improvements made it really worthwhile.
The first is the private browsing mode or anonymous (InPrivate Browsing) provides the option to surf the web without leaving a trace. When the feature is enabled, IE fails to record any information regarding what is done on the web. This means that anything that is typed is registered in the cache, no history of websites visited. The function is particularly useful when sharing a computer or uses a machine in a public place like an Internet café or library in the school.
Another notable improvement is the IE8 Protected Mode and that is related to components of the Windows 7 security to prevent unauthorized or malicious code to run within the browser. This feature does not allow, for example, that a simple visit to a contaminated site can download and install malicious code on your computer.
Protection that we love to hate
The user account control (UAC by its English acronym) is probably the characteristic most hated and loved at the same time in Vista. In Windows 7, UAC is still there, but Microsoft added a feature that gives more control of the level of protection to the wearer and, consequently, the number of pop-ups asking for permission to access or execution of any process.
In addition, pop-ups are only one aspect of the UAC provides. Many users simply disabled the UAC on Vista completely. The problem is that by doing this in Vista, they were also turning off protected mode in Internet Explorer and other protective features of the operating system. The control variables available in Windows 7 also does the same, but the user has better control over what to disable from settings in Control Panel.
Security Tools and Applications
Because of the way of protecting the kernel and the changes that Microsoft made to manage how (or whether) applications are allowed to interact with core features of the operating system, antivirus and other security applications earlier are not compatible with Windows 7.
Suppliers with McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, among others, are now offering version compatible with Windows 7, its security products. But it's good to know that Microsoft offers a security solution - Microsoft Security Essentials - free (the download is only for owners of genuine copies of Windows), so do not need to shell out a penny.
A firewall and anti-spyware tools are part of the basic installation of Windows 7.
Monitoring center
The Security Center that Windows XP users are familiar was replaced by the Action Center (Action Center). This is the monitoring console that is more comprehensive in Windows 7, including the issue of security.
The Action Center provides a unified interface for monitoring drug safety, including information about the firewall, spyware and virus protection as well as the current state of Windows Update, setting standards of web security and UAC.
Source: http://computerworld.uol.com.br/seguranca/2009/11/03/5-recursos-de-seguranca-do-windows-7/
