Vista: User account security

I'm David Berlind, an executive editor at ZDNet and today we are going to talk about Vista user account security, one of the reasons that you may want to consider upgrading to Windows Vista from your current installation of Microsoft Windows. Weather it's XP or some other version that came before it.

Now, one of the things that Microsoft talks a lot about is drive-by malware. Now here is your bad guy, he's driving by with some malware in his car. Here is your computer, maybe one that runs Windows XP. What would happen is that malware would somehow find its way onto the system. It would install 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 administrative user. What would happen is malware would get on your computer, and it would basically ruin it?

One of the suggestions that Microsoft came up with, is to run the computer under what is called a Limited User Account. It said, come in here and instead of running as the administrator. Run as an LUA but that caused a 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 it comes to drive by malware. Now, let's say this is your Vista computer. Here's Vista. Let's say this is your drive by malware right here, trying to squeak by and drop some malware onto this system. What happens is that regardless of weather you are an administrator or your one of these Limited User Accounts in here. They are actually both Limited User Accounts.

If some software tries to install itself on a Vista computer, no matter weather your in administrator or a standard user, it will bump up a dialogue. That dialogue says, "Hey is it OK to install this software."

Now, if you are a Limited User Account, a standard user, it will just say, "Give me the administrative password and I'll let the software install itself." But, if you are already an administrator, it will just say hey, "Is it OK that I install this." It won't ask for the password. Ether way, this dialogue comes up, and it's a way that it prevents, drive by malware from installing on Windows Vista. This is what makes Vista a better product, from a security point of view, putting it on par with other systems, like Mac OS X and Linux.

Then you go down to your applications, like you business or your gaming, or your Internet communication applications. There is a better chance that these applications might actually run, without a problem, even though you're running on a Limited User Account.

What you really need to check though, because some of your favorite applications may not be compatible with Windows Vista. It is the Windows Vista compatibility website.

There is a chance that some of your applications may be compatible but others are not. You want to check that list before you are upgrade to Windows Vista. If you find that some applications are not compatible, then maybe you want to wait a bit before upgrading.

For ZDNet, I'm David Berlind.