Windows 7 / Security and Privacy

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Security Features Previously Introduced in Windows Vista

This section describes the most visible and tangible Windows Vista security improvements that have not been substantially changed in Windows 7, which are listed in Table below. Each of these improvements is also included in Windows 7. Architectural and internal improvements- as well as improvements that require additional applications or infrastructure-are described later in this tutorial. Security improvements new to Windows 7 and Windows Vista features that are significantly improved in Windows 7 also are discussed later in this tutorial.

Security Improvements Previously Introduced In Windows Vista

Improvement	Description
Windows Defender	Attempts to detect and block unwanted software.
Windows Firewall	Filters incoming and outgoing network traffic. New improvements provide greater flexibility and manageability.
Encrypting File System	Encrypts files and folders other than system files. Improvements provide greater flexibility and manageability.
Credential Manager enhancements	Enable users to perform common credential management security tasks, such as resetting PINs.

The sections that follow describe these features in more detail. For detailed recommendations on how to configure Windows Vista security settings, refer to the Windows Vista Security Guide, available at http://www.microsoft.com. For an interesting description of how Windows Vista security changes have led to real-world improvements, read "Windows Vista Security One Year Later" at http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsvistasecurity/archive/2008/01/23/windows-vista-security-one-year-later.aspx.