Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft® Windows Vista™

8. Ensuring Security and Privacy

In This Chapter

• Windows Security Center

• Using Windows Defender

• Securing Your PC with Firewalls

• Checking Your Computer for Viruses

• Ensuring Internet Security and Privacy

• Phishing Filters

• Handling Junk Mail

Windows Security Center

Nothing is more annoying than having some outsider mess with or even destroy information on your computer. We also all want to preserve as much privacy as possible. Toward these ends Microsoft has added numerous security improvements and centralized most of them in the Windows Security Center, shown in Figure 8.1.

Figure 8.1. The new Windows Security Center consolidates many Vista safety and privacy features.

Perhaps the quickest way to reach the Security Center is to type “Security ...