I'm moving to Johannesburg, South Africa, within a couple of days. So many things need to be done still... Visa, packing, other formalities, learning cooking (!), etc.
Let's see how things pan out.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Moving to Johannesburg (SA), shortly
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Microsoft's impressive array of offerings to secure consumer PCs
I remember the time - some years back - when Microsoft was frequently bashed for not doing enough to make the Windows OS secure. Microsoft apparently took it to heart, and the end-result is that it has built a genuinely impressive range of software and technologies that provide decent-enough protection to end-users (not to be confused with Microsoft's initiative to deliver more secure applications - programs that have less bugs and security-holes, but which may not necessarily actively provide security to the system).
The range of applications and features includes:
It's easy to argue that these technologies don't provide "sufficient" security, compared to products from Symantec or McAfee. But it can't be disputed that these offerings:
In any case, it's better to ship the machines with fine protection installed, than none.
The range of applications and features includes:
- Windows Defender
- Windows Firewall
- Microsoft Security Essentials
- Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
- Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner
- Windows Security Center
- Data Execution Prevention (DEP)
- Automatic Updates/Microsoft Update/Windows Update
It's easy to argue that these technologies don't provide "sufficient" security, compared to products from Symantec or McAfee. But it can't be disputed that these offerings:
- Are incredibly easy to use.
- Cause minimal disruption in the end-user experience.
- Increase the overall security of an end-user's machine.
- Provide quite good protection, especially when used together.
- Are free - all of them!
In any case, it's better to ship the machines with fine protection installed, than none.
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