Features and Naivete
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Vista is filled with a variety of
security features that really do keep the enterprise more secure. User
Account Control ensures that the
user is forced to permit an application to run. It's not perfect and
it can be annoying, but it does go a long way in giving users a second chance
when they decide to run potentially malicious code.
At the same time, Vista security can be
enhanced when IT managers simply force employees to run as users with limited
rights. It effectively creates a situation where the employee can only
engage in business activities and not perform the kind of actions (such as
installing applications) that put data at risk.
On the browser side, Protected Mode in
Internet Explorer runs the entire surfing process in a sandbox, making it more
difficult for users to access system locations. That simple addition
makes it easier for administrators to control how users surf the Web. They can limit the employee's ability to install malware.
Those are just a few examples of many
that help make Vista more secure. But when evaluating the security of
Vista, it's impossible to ignore the fact that, in many cases, it's the
employee's naivete that develops into issues. No, they shouldn't open
attachments on their work e-mail from people they don't know. No, they
shouldn't be downloading software onto their computers from an untrusted
source. No, they shouldn't be surfing to sites that contain
malware. But the problem is: they do. And when they do, we can't
expect Vista to be perfect and stop every threat.
So in the end, we need to look at Vista
for what it really is: a piece of software that, while not perfect, is better
than the critics say. And in the enterprise, it's still a good choice.
