It has been almost a year since Microsoft Corporation initiated an education drive about the security features of their newly launched Windows 7. Ever since the product was launched, companies and users have not settled down to the features and benefits of this new friend of the PC. In this space we try to understand some primary features of the Windows 7 and familiarise with its security benefits. Microsoft is high on referring to the security benefits of Windows 7, even compared to the Vista. What does it offer? Is it really worth our while?  

What’s good about the Windows 7?
Let’s start with an interesting and user friendly feature of the Windows 7. With the Windows 7 it has become easier to organise your favourite files and programs. Windows 7 allows you to keep the most used or preferred files and programs pinned onto the taskbar. With time always at a premium, this is a helpful feature. The Snap feature of Windows 7 allows users to compare two files simultaneously. This can be done with a simple drag to the edge of the screen and the two files can be accessed and compared simultaneously. Live Taskbar Previews with the Windows 7 allow users to take a convenient look at all open windows. One last but interesting feature with this new Microsoft product is what they have called the HomeGroup. With HomeGroup you don’t have to indulge in the hassle of sharing files, devices and printers on a home network. This makes it easy to process simple tasks on the network. Data protection, deployment, manageability and end-user protection are some of the most relevant security features of the Windows 7.

The Security Update
Windows 7 is an enhancement over the security features of the Vista. Microsoft incorporated user feedback while developing this new version of Windows. What evolved was a product that is user friendly and sensitive to a greater number of security threats. Microsoft says that Windows 7 allows users seamless remote connectivity to corporate networks. It also helps to protect data on thumb drives and provides fewer User Account Control (UAC) prompts. Here’s what we feel.

To start with, Windows 7 is developed according to the Security Development Lifecycle. Therefore, just like the Vista, it has features such as Kernel Patch Protection, DEP, ASLR and Mandatory Integrity Levels. This feature of the Windows 7 allows users to protect the basic application from malicious software and other threats. Simultaneously, the UAC of the Vista has been improved to include a greater number of options for the user. According to Windows Client Enterprise Security director Paul Cooke, Windows 7 has 29 percent fewer user account control prompts than Windows Vista. The control panel here comes with a configuration slider so that the user can pick from four available types of protection. These range from Always Notify to Never Notify. For those of you who prefer to use biometric security over passwords, Windows 7 provides a smooth integration between the OS and the fingerprint scan machine.

With Windows 7 has also come the new version of BitLocker. This encryption utility is based on two partitions and the Trusted Platform Module. This way, the BitLocker is able to work towards the security of removable media. The group policy management of the BitLocker is another feature that makes it more viable for enterprise encryption. This new feature works fantastically with mobile storage devices, making Windows 7 particularly useful for the services industry. BitLocker is therefore apt to assist data leak prevention. DirectAccess is inbuilt into the Windows 7 system to provide users in remote locations a seamless connectivity that is as secure as when working from office. So the remote worker does not have to create a connection. Instead, Windows 7 works with a secure tunnel that automatically runs through the corporate network to secure activities of the remote user. Along with the AppLocker technology, DirectAccess gives the administrator control to the software within the office network. This way networks can only access authorized scripts, installers, and dynamic load libraries.

It’s certain that Windows 7 is a lot easier for the security user. How much it will help secure our systems can only be tested with time.