Windows Vista : Security

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Windows Vista is engineered to be the most secure version of Windows yet. The new features in Windows Vista help to give you the control and confidence you need to get the most out of your PC.
Windows Vista contains a number of new security features that, taken together, are designed to make Windows Vista-based PCs more secure and your online experiences safer.

The improvements are designed to help you have:

A PC protected from viruses, worms, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software
A safer online experience for you and your family
An understanding of when your PC is unsafe, and the control and guidance to help improve your security

User Account Control

User Account Control (UAC), a new set of features in Windows Vista, helps strike a balance between the flexibility and power of an administrator account and the security of a standard user account.
Activities such as surfing the web, sending e-mail, and using productivity programs don't require special administrative privileges. Windows Vista makes it easy to perform these activities and be productive using standard user accounts.

When you want to perform an administrative task, like installing a new program, Windows Vista prompts you to verify that you want to install the program before allowing that administrative task to run. This way, the use of administrator privileges is minimized, making it more difficult for malware, such as viruses, worms, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software, to have machine-wide impact on your PC.
UAC also helps protect family computers from malware. Often malware is hidden in programs that appeal to children. To help protect your computer, you can create standard user accounts for your children. When your child tries to install a piece of software, the system will ask for an administrator account's password. Your children cannot install new programs by themselves.

Better protection from malware

Malware, such as viruses, worms, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software, can cause a wide range of problems, including theft of personal information, slower PC performance, and the appearance of unwanted advertising (such as pop-up ads). The effects of malware can range from mere annoyances to significant problems that take a considerable amount of time and money to fix.

In addition to using these built-in Windows Vista features, you should help keep your computer healthy by using antivirus software such as Windows OneCare or an antivirus solution from one of Microsoft's partners. Whichever option you choose, remember to update your antivirus software regularly. These updates are generally available through a subscription from your antivirus vendor.
Together, these tools can help you protect your PC from malicious software.