Ultimate guide to Windows 7 security

Windows 7 has been warmly received and swiftly adopted by businesses, with the result that many IT admins are now struggling with the platform’s new security features. In addition to changes to User Account Control, BitLocker, and other features inherited from Windows Vista, Windows 7 introduces a slew of security capabilities that businesses will want to take advantage of.

Windows 7 improves on Vista with a friendlier UAC mechanism, the ability to encrypt removable media and hard drive volumes, broader support for strong cryptographic ciphers, hassle-free secure remote access, and sophisticated protection against Trojan malware in the form of AppLocker, to name just a few.

In this guide, I’ll run through these and other significant security enhancements in Windows 7, and provide my recommendations for configuring and using them. I’ll pay especially close attention to the new AppLocker application control feature, which may be a Windows shop’s most practical and affordable way to combat socially engineered Trojan malware.

New and improved

Windows 7 has literally hundreds of security changes and additions, far too many to cover in one fell swoop. While this guide focuses on the ones that most organizations will be interested in, keep in mind that plenty of others may deserve your attention. A few the biggies not discussed here are built-in support for smart cards and biometrics, the ability to force the use of Kerberos in a feature called Restrict NTLM, and support for the new DNSSec standards, which are becoming essential to prevent DNS exploitation attacks. Also noteworthy is a new feature called Extended Protection for Authentication, which prevents many sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can strike at some of our most trusted security protocols (such as SSL and TLS).

User Account Control

A Windows Vista feature that users loved to hate, User Account Control has been significantly improved to be both less intrusive and smarter at distinguishing between legitimate and potentially malicious activities in Windows 7. However, depending on whether you are logged on as administrator or a standard user, some installs of Windows 7 may have a default UAC security setting that’s one level lower than some experts (including yours truly) recommend. Standard users have UAC security default to the most secure setting, while administrator accounts reside a notch below the highest setting, which is potentially riskier.

Note too that, although UAC provides a much-needed mechanism to prevent the misuse of administrator privileges, it can be bypassed. If you need high security, users should not log on with an elevated user account until they need it.

Your domain environment should already be at the highest and most secure level (“Always notify”). If it isn’t, make it so. That way, users will be prompted to input their passwords to perform high risk administrative actions. No matter what else, UAC should be enabled.

more on hacking-news.com

Windows 7 security defeated by 8 out of 10 malware applications

Leading up to its release, there was a lot of concern regarding Window 7's default User Account Control (UAC) settings. Namely: it doesn't actually provide any damn security. Alas.

Basically, Microsoft went ahead and reacted to the public outcry regarding the Vista security confirmations. I think we can all agree that they were really annoying (and most power-users turn UAC off because of how irritating they are). As a result, there are significantly fewer UAC warnings in a default Windows 7 installation -- hooray! The problem is that the new default setting in Windows 7 leads you to falsely believe that you have a secure installation right out of the box. Sadly, this is not the case.

It's no surprise then that 8 out of 10 malware Applications defeated the default Windows 7 UAC setting in tests.

So practice safe surfing (duh!) or go and hoik your UAC settings up to the most secure -- and annoying -- setting. Ars Technica has a great guide on patching up your UAC for new Windows 7 users -- or even an experienced user like myself that falsely believed the default setting to be secure.

Source:-downloadsquad.switched.com

Windows 7 Security: 5 Simple Ways to Stay Safer

Is your Windows 7 PC as secure as it could be?

It's often too easy for you busy laptop warriors to assume your Windows PCs are safe. A computer virus? That's not going to happen to me ... until it does.

So in addition to running a full antivirus software suite, either free and good enough (Avast, Microsoft Security Essentials) or paid and Teflon strong (Symantec Norton, Kaspersky), you should also take advantage of Windows 7's built-in security settings and updates.

These five simple security features in Windows 7 help keep the bad guys at bay.

Action Center

Action Center, the home base for your PC's security, lists all information about security settings. The main role of Action Center is to consistently check on security items such as your network firewall and maintenance items including backup and restore, to make sure your machine is healthy.

The Action Center in Windows 7 gives you a view of all your PC's security and maintenance features.

Action Center shows up as a little white flag on the right-hand side of the Windows 7 toolbar, or it can be reached by the path Control Panel -- System and Security -- Action Center.

Inside Action Center, you can make sure your Windows Firewall is on, your antivirus software is up to date and that your PC is set to install updates automatically.

When the status of a monitored security item changes, such as your antivirus becoming out of date, Action Center notifies you with a message in the taskbar. Then when you open Action Center, the status of the item in question changes color to indicate the severity of the problem, and an action is requested.

[ For complete coverage on Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system -- including hands-on reviews, video tutorials and advice on enterprise rollouts -- see CIO.com's Windows 7 Bible. ]

Action Center is a helpful resource that warns you when there may be trouble. Be sure not to neglect those Action Center messages when they turn up.

Windows Defender

Windows Defender, antispyware software that's included with Windows 7, runs automatically when it is turned on.

Spyware is any unwanted or potentially harmful software that can be installed on your computer without your knowledge any time you connect to the Internet. It can also infect your computer when you install programs using a CD or DVD.

Windows Defender staves off spyware in two ways:

* Real-time protection. Windows Defender alerts you when spyware attempts to install itself or to run on your computer. It also alerts you when programs attempt to change important Windows settings.
* Scanning options. You can use Windows Defender to scan for spyware that might be installed on your computer, to schedule scans on a regular basis, and to automatically remove anything that's detected during a scan.

To open Windows Defender, click the Start button located in the far left of the task bar. In the search box, type Defender, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Defender.

User Account Control

UAC, the security feature that prompts you for permission to install or open programs, was despised by Windows Vista users, but it is much more customizable in Windows 7. The options are no longer "on or off"; there are four notification levels that a user can set.

The four settings in Windows 7 UAC's customizable slider range from Always notify to Never notify.

The improved Windows 7 UAC is essential in that it informs you when a program makes a change that could potentially harm your computer or make it susceptible to security threats.

If you are your computer's administrator (in most cases you are), you can click Yes to continue. If you are not an administrator, someone with an administrator account on the computer will have to enter their password for you to continue.

When your permission is needed to open a program or install software, UAC will notify you with one of four different types of dialog boxes:

* When a program or setting is part of Windows and needs your permission to start.
* When a program is not a part of Windows and needs your permission to start
* When a program with an unknown publisher needs your permission to start
* When you have been blocked by your system administrator from running a program because the program is known to be untrusted

To modify User Account Control Settings, click the Start button and then click Control Panel. In the search box, type uac, and then click Change User Account Control Settings.

Windows Update

Windows Update can be a pest, especially when updates pop up when you're in the middle of 10 things. But by installing the latest updates as they become available for your PC, you are continually improving the security, reliability and performance of your computer without too much of an inconvenience.

Slideshow: Windows 7 Hardware in Pictures: The Latest and Greatest Laptops Slideshow: Seven Features in Windows 7 You Probably Don't Know About Slideshow: Seven Tools to Ease Your Windows 7 Rollout

You can set Windows to automatically install "important" and "recommended" updates or to install important updates only. Important updates are for more critical security and reliability issues and recommended updates address noncritical problems.

To turn on automatic Windows Updates:

* Click on the Start button. In the search box type Update, and then in the list of results click Windows Update.
* In the left pane, click Change Settings.
* Under Important updates, you can choose if you want to install new updates automatically, and the day and time you want the latest updates to take place (i.e. Every Day at 6 am).
* Under Recommended Updates select the "Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates" check box, and then click OK.

Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall is an easy feature to turn on or off and can help prevent hackers and worms from slithering into your computer through a network or the Internet. A firewall can also help stop your computer from sending malicious software to other computers.

Unless you have another firewall enabled, such as a corporate network firewall, you should turn on Windows Firewall to protect your computer and network (if you have one).

To turn on Windows Firewall:

* Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. In the search box, type firewall, and then click Windows Firewall.
* In the left pane, click "Turn Windows Firewall on or off." If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
* Click Turn on Windows Firewall under each network location that you want to help protect, and then click OK.

Note: If your computer is connected to a corporate network, your company's group policy settings might prevent you from turning on Windows Firewall.

Source networkworld

How to Adjust Mouse Speed in Windows 7

Here's a quick tip on how you can adjust the mouse pointer speed in Windows 7:

1) Click Start menu, and then open Control Panel.
2) Then click on Hardware and Sound.
3) Now under Devices and Printers, click on Mouse.
4) The Mouse Properties box should pop-up, click on the 'Pointer Options' tab.
5) In the Motion section, adjust the pointer speed by dragging the toggle to the left or right
6) depending on if you want to slow down, or speed up the mouse pointer. You can also check the 7) Enhance pointer precision checkbox, for a more precise mouse pointer.
8) Click OK, to save your changes.

How To Create A Password Protected Folder In Windows 7

Some people like to go all out with security and encrypt files and folders with such complicated codes that no computer hacker could figure them out. But then there’s also people who just want to hide files from casual PC browsers. That’s where this little guide could come in handy for you.

This tutorial will guide you through the steps to create a locked folder in Windows 7, and the best thing is you don’t need to use any additional software. Now anyone who really is serious about accessing your files will probably be able to crack this, but it should deter more than the average passer by.

A heads up to Simplehelp.net for putting this together:

1. First off, create a new folder and name it what you like

2. Go into the folder and create a new text document (Right click on blank area -> New -> Text Document)

3. Now you want to open up the text file you just created and paste in the following text:
cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Private
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Private goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure you want to lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Private "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%== ENTER YOUR PASSWORD HERE goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Private
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Private
echo Private created successfully
goto End
:End
4. Be sure to enter your password in the “Enter Your Password Here” bit

5. Next you want to save your this document in the .bat form and name it locker so it’s called locker.bat To do this make sure you change the Save as type: All Files (*.*)

6. Now you want to go back to the folder you created at the very beginning and double click on the locker.bat file and this should create a new folder named Private, this is where you can put anything you want.

7. Once you add your files to this folder, double click on locker.bat again and it will ask you if you want to lock the folder or not. Press Y and the folder will disappear! You’ve now successfully locked it and hidden it.

8. Now to get back your folder, all you have to do is double click on the locker.bat file again and enter the password that you made and the folder will reappear for you.

Windows 7 Gets Ready for Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM

With Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM on the way to Windows 7, Microsoft is taken the necessary measures designed to ensure that the download and deployment of the upgrade will go as smooth as possible.

This is why the operating system received an update set up to ensure that there are no issues in Windows 7 RTM that could prevent the integration of SP1 or additional updates from the Redmond company.

A new release of the System Update Readiness Tool went live this week, and is currently available to customers either through Windows Update or as a standalone download via the Microsoft Download Center.

“This tool is being offered because an inconsistency was found in the Windows servicing store which may prevent the successful installation of future updates, service packs, and software. This tool checks your computer for such inconsistencies and tries to resolve issues if found,” Microsoft stated.

The tool is designed to resolve any servicing inconsistencies not only in Windows 7, but also in Windows Server 2008 R2, as well as Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008. This particular version of the System Update Readiness Tool was not offered for Windows XP.

“The System Update Readiness Tool verifies the integrity of the following resources:

Files that are located under the following directories:

%SYSTEMROOT%\Servicing\Packages

%SYSTEMROOT%\WinSxS\Manifests

Registry data that is located under the following registry subkeys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Components

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Schema

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing

When the System Update Readiness Tool detects incorrect manifests, files, or registry data, it might replace the incorrect data with a corrected version,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft has recently launched the Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7 SP1 to early adopters for testing purposes.

Ahead of anything else, the RC is a sign that the release to manufacturing (RTM) development milestone is not that far off into the future.

In fact, the software giant also made sure to release a tool designed to block the automatic delivery and deployment of SP1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

However, the company still has to reveal the availability deadline for Windows 7 SP1 RTM. Microsoft only confirmed that the service pack will be served to customers by the end of March 2011.

Still, there’s no way of saying when will Windows 7 SP1 actually be released to manufacturing, and when will the first RTM bits be served to customers. Speculation still indicates that Windows 7 SP1 will hit RTM by the end of this year, but rumors of availability do indeed point to March 2011.

Windows 7 Homegroup

Windows 7 provides offers users a platform that is ease-of-use with a variety of entertainment options, power management, and a lot of flexibility. Its marked improvement over Windows Vista in several key departments makes it far better option for a number of users. The newest OS of Windows has a whole lot to offer. In this article, we will discuss a useful feature called HomeGroup.

HomeGroup facilitates connecting multiple computers to your home network. This is the best medium to share your music, pictures and documents within your home computers. HomeGroup is automatically set up as and when you add the first PC running Windows 7 to your home network. After that you can easily add as many computers as you want to the HomeGroup. You can be absolutely specific about what exactly you want to share with each system in the HomeGroup. This way sharing files and folders across the various systems in your home network becomes as easy as if all of them are available on a single hard drive.

USB connected printers can also be shared through HomeGroup. For instance, you have a printer in the lobby that is shared by HomeGroup; it will be automatically installed on the other HomeGroup enabled computers. Computers connected through domain can also be part of a HomeGroup.

As and when you setup your network, Windows 7 will prompt you to select the type of location. Select Home Network, Windows 7 will now start applying the necessary settings for your new network. The HomeGroup wizard will get opened and will prompt you to create your HomeGroup and choose what you want to share in your HomeGroup. The wizard will then generate a password which can be used to add other computers to your HomeGroup.

As your Home Group gets created, your pictures, music, videos, printers, movies, etc are all ready to be shared with other computers joined with this HomeGroup. These folders - music, videos, and pictures - are named as Libraries in Windows 7.

How to Join a HomeGroup?

It is very simple to join a HomeGroup. When your other computer is connected to the network where a HomeGroup has already been created, the OS will prompt you that there is a HomeGroup available to join. When you choose to join that HomeGroup, the OS will provide you with information about the HomeGroup on your network. When youclick Join now to join to your HomeGroup, you will be prompted to enter the HomeGroup password which was generated during its creation. Entering the correct password will let you join the HomeGroup and choose the files that you want to share with computers on that network.