Malicious Mobile Code

New Windows Versions

Both Windows ME and Windows 2000 contain features and components helpful for diagnosing and preventing malicious mobile code. This section of the chapter will cover only the new features related to malicious mobile code security.

Windows ME

Windows Millennium Edition was released on September 14, 2000, as the last version of the 9x platform. It is designed for home users, and isn’t as reliable or secure as Windows NT. Containing a slew of new multimedia enhancements, it sports a user desktop and TCP/IP stack borrowed from Windows 2000.

System restore

A new System Restore feature backs up important system files every 10 hours, by default, and can be used to restore earlier system states in the event of system corruption. It attempts to replace damaged system and program files without overwriting user data and personal settings. It compresses and stores files changed in the Windows or Program Files folders for later restoration purposes. The System Restore wizard (Start → Programs → Accessories → System Tools → System Restore) can be used to automate recovery from many malicious code attacks, instead of the manual methods we rely on in the older versions.

Tip

For good or bad, Microsoft removed the ability to boot to MS-DOS from the Startup menu. Fortunately, the Windows ME startup disk will allow a boot to DOS when such access is needed.

System file protection

Windows ME and 2000 have new mechanisms that although not built specifically to defeat malicious mobile ...