Windows Security Center in Vista

This is a screenshot of Windows Security Center in Vista, the beefed-up successor to Windows XP, which Microsoft refers to as "the voice of security for Windows Vista."

In Vista, Windows Security Center reports on firewall, antivirus, spyware protection, Internet security settings and Windows security technology called User Account Control. The feature sits in the Windows Control Panel and pops up any time there is a security alert, such as when antivirus protection is disabled or the firewall is turned off.

Windows Security Center also can be used to manage security tools in Vista. For example, a user could update antivirus definitions or disable a firewall directly from the Windows Security Center, according to a recently published Microsoft document on the feature. In Windows XP Service Pack 2, which first included the Windows Security Center, the feature only displays the status of the firewall, antivirus and automatic updates.

September 19, 2006 2:08 PM PDT

Photo by: CNET News.com