Share via


Windows Vista Security Guide Now Available

Microsoft’s Solution Accelerator – Security and Compliance team is pleased to announce the release of the Windows Vista Security Guide , which is now available for downloading.

The Windows Vista Security Guide provides IT Professionals like you with specific recommendations and automated tools to further harden Windows Vista against real-world security threats.

Based on your feedback and extensive experience from other customers, government agencies, and Microsoft security experts, the Windows Vista Security Guide is designed to provide comprehensive vulnerability, risk, and mitigation analyses to help you understand the tradeoffs between security and functionality.

Using the Windows Vista Security Guide, you can choose from one of two baseline security configurations to meet the requirements of your environment, and then modify and test a wide variety of security settings, as well as other new and enhanced security technologies in Windows Vista:

  • The Enterprise Client (EC) environment is designed to meet the needs of most corporations.
  • Only in environments in which security outweighs functionality considerations—such as those in major financial institutions and government intelligence agencies—does the guide recommend using the Specialized Security – Limited Functionality (SSLF) security configuration. You can further tailor these security configurations to defend against threats such as malware and information theft.

The security recommendations in the Windows Vista Security Guide have been validated through extensive testing. And the GPO Accelerator tool that accompanies the guidance helps you automatically deploy the security settings in minutes instead of hours.

A hardcopy version of the Windows Vista Security Guide will also be released in coming weeks; the hardcopy version will include a CD with sample code and detailed information about security in Windows Vista.  – Please stay tuned for more information.

A special thanks to all of you who provided such valuable feedback on the beta version of the guide! The time you took to share your thoughts with us had a real impact on this important guide.

To learn more about the Windows Vista Security Guide, click here.

And be sure to visit our Solution Accelerator team’s page to see our other security guides (https://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/guidance/default.mspx).

Kelly Hengesteg
Senior Program Manager
Microsoft Security & Compliance Solutions

Comments

  • Anonymous
    November 09, 2006
    I guess it's probably a little early to ask, but are there any plans to put Vista through Common Criteria approval?

  • Anonymous
    November 09, 2006
    Yes, absolutely we are aiming for Common Criteria approval. Many of the settings in the Specialized Security – Limited Functionality (SSLF) are designed for Common Criteria compliance as well.

  • Anonymous
    November 16, 2006
    I work in the computer recycling industry and the removal of files at the end of life is a big concern for many companies. It is a simple process to perform a data wipe using a software program, but many companies do not buy this additional software to protect themselves. Is the Vista program going to have the ability to "scrub" the hard drive at the end of a computer's life?

  • Anonymous
    November 27, 2006
    Yes, yes.... It is something really important to all of us that evaluate Vista. And what a coomprehensive guide!!!! A "must have".... A grat compilation with every single problem that I had. And several that i did not have and do hope  that that won't happens... apart, more then a book for everyone that is or was testing VISA, every version, betas, RCs or RTM. Thankyou ver much on this one. It is essencial. Best Regards, Marcelo Mason Miami, FL diavolo_fg@msn.com

  • Anonymous
    November 28, 2006
    From the Windows Vista website and Vista Security Blog… In addition to the solutions that the Windows...

  • Anonymous
    December 14, 2006
    Kelly Hengesteg Senior Program Manager Microsoft Security & Compliance Solutions Dear Sir: I was too late to get a Beta copy of Vista I wonder if functions like Copy and Paste, moving files in Explorer is done in the same fashion in Vista as is now done in previous releases of Windows? Any help would be appreciated! Jaime A. Restrepo JRestrepo@aol.com

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2007
    It doesn't seem that many questions are anwered in any type of order. It's more like a "Yes, Yes!!! blah, blah, blah, we have coming and you can get...!! jmho...but where is the symetry that seems to be lacking here? Respectfully, WildBill[at]gamerzpcheaven[dot]com

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2007
    BTW... H A P P Y  N E W  Y E A R !

  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2007
    i want to be protect my computer in future. Please help me. My name panharatha phath

  • Anonymous
    February 14, 2007
    I'd like to protect my network that vista work in.

  • Anonymous
    February 14, 2007
    I need more protection for my network thanks

  • Anonymous
    April 23, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 23, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 23, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 08, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 08, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 08, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    July 24, 2007
    Today my boss received confirmation that Microsoft is no longer pursuing Common Criteria certification for Vista and Longhorn. This means that these OS's cannot be deployed in government agencies. What is Microsoft going to do to deploy new Windows operating systems in the public sector - and in international gov't agencies - now? Do we have to stay on XP and R2 forever?

  • Anonymous
    August 01, 2007
    Thanks man, just what I was looking for. Thanks so much...

  • Anonymous
    August 26, 2007
    Hello Windows Vista Team Blog readers, We've heard that some of you are very interested in getting the

  • Anonymous
    October 06, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 23, 2008
    For the past few weeks, I have been using the Vista Security Guide to audit some personal computers by comparing the PC's setting to the the Guide setting.  The Excel spreadsheet named Windows Vista Security Guide Settings.xls has been very useful to map the registry settings. I have notice a possible error that you may wish to correct. Under the Computer Policy Settings sheet, "Network access: Restrict anonymous access to Named Pipes and Shares" is associated with the registry setting MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesLanManServerParametersNullSessionShares. I believe that the correct registry setting is MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesLanManServerParametersRestrictNullSessAccess. Thank You.

  • Anonymous
    May 20, 2008
    I hate the vista security as it is to restrictive for a none techie

  • Anonymous
    May 20, 2008
    I hate the vista security as it is to restrictive for a none techie

  • Anonymous
    May 29, 2008
    Im doing some technical research on vista security. So i need a technical paper that explains vista security in details. can you help me to find it?

  • Anonymous
    July 22, 2008
    hi,  Is the vista security policy settings applicable to all 4 types of Vista OS ?

  • Anonymous
    October 23, 2008
    this area like vista itself is a waste of time, not once does it ask what my problem is or who to talk to about it, it is nothing more than an advertisement about how great vista is.