I'm David Berlind, an executive editor at ZDNet and today weare going to talk about Vista user account security, one of the reasons thatyou may want to consider upgrading to Windows Vista from your currentinstallation of Microsoft Windows. Weather it's XP or some other version thatcame before it.
Now, one of the things that Microsoft talks a lot about isdrive-by malware. Now here is your bad guy, he's driving by with some malwarein his car. Here is your computer, maybe one that runs Windows XP. What wouldhappen is that malware would somehow find its way onto the system. It wouldinstall itself right here.
So, why would malware be able to install itself right here?Well, the chances are, that's because you are running as an administrativeuser. What would happen is malware would get on your computer, and it wouldbasically ruin it?
One of the suggestions that Microsoft came up with, is torun the computer under what is called a Limited User Account. It said, come inhere and instead of running as the administrator. Run as an LUA but that causeda problem. If you are working with let's say, one of your business application,or gaming application, or maybe an Internet communications application, Well,none of these things would work. They all somehow seam to break.
Microsoft has made some improvements in Widows Vista when itcomes to drive by malware. Now, let's say this is your Vista computer. Here'sVista. Let's say this is your drive by malware right here, trying to squeak byand drop some malware onto this system. What happens is that regardless ofweather you are an administrator or your one of these Limited User Accounts inhere. They are actually both Limited User Accounts.
If some software tries to install itself on a Vistacomputer, no matter weather your in administrator or a standard user, it willbump up a dialogue. That dialogue says, "Hey is it OK to install thissoftware."
Now, if you are a Limited User Account, a standard user, itwill just say, "Give me the administrative password and I'll let thesoftware install itself." But, if you are already an administrator, itwill just say hey, "Is it OK that I install this." It won't ask forthe password. Ether way, this dialogue comes up, and it's a way that itprevents, drive by malware from installing on Windows Vista. This is what makesVista a better product, from a security point of view, putting it on par withother systems, like Mac OS X and Linux.
Then you go down to your applications, like you business oryour gaming, or your Internet communication applications. There is a betterchance that these applications might actually run, without a problem, eventhough you're running on a Limited User Account.
What you really need to check though, because some of yourfavorite applications may not be compatible with Windows Vista. It is theWindows Vista compatibility website.
There is a chance that some of your applications may becompatible but others are not. You want to check that list before you areupgrade to Windows Vista. If you find that some applications are notcompatible, then maybe you want to wait a bit before upgrading.
For ZDNet, I'm David Berlind.
