Windows 7 : Using Advanced Security Options (part 1) - Configuring the Action Center & Performing a Manual Scan

In the following sections, we will look at some of the advanced security options that you can configure to protect a Windows 7 machine. We will take a look at the Action Center, shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Windows Security Center

The Action Center is designed to allow you to monitor and configure critical settings through a centralized dialog box. Critical settings include those for automatic updating, ma I ware protection, and other security settings. Ma! ware protection includes virus protection and spyware protection (included through Windows Defender).

Let's start by taking a look at how to configure the Action Center.

1. Configuring the Action Center

These days, having a firewall just isn't enough. Spyware and viruses are becoming more widespread, more sophisticated, and more dangerous. Users can unintentionally pick up spyware and viruses by visiting websites or by installing an application in which spyware and viruses are bundled.

Even worse, malicious software cannot typically be uninstalled. Thus, antispyware and virus protection applications are also required to ensure that your computer remains protected. Let's take a look at some of the different ways that you can protect your Windows 7 computers using the Action Center.

1.1. Using Windows Defender

Windows 7 comes with an antispyware application called Windows Defender, formerly known as Microsoft AntiSpyware. Windows Defender offers real-time protection from spyware and other unwanted software. You can also configure Windows Defender to scan for spyware on a regular basis.

Like antivirus programs, Windows Defender relies on definitions, which are used to determine whether a file contains spyware. Out-of-date definitions can cause Windows Defender to not detect some spyware. Windows Update is used to regularly update the definitions used by Windows Defender so that the latest spyware can be detected. You can also configure Windows Defender to manually check for updates using Windows Update.

To access Windows Defender (see Figure 2), click Start => Control Panel => Large Icons View => Windows Defender. The status appears at the bottom of the screen and includes time of the last scan, the scan schedule, the real-time protection status, and the definition version.

Figure 2. Windows Defender

Let's take a look at how you can scan the system for spyware using Windows Defender.

2. Performing a Manual Scan

You can configure Windows Defender to perform a manual scan of your computer at any time. There are three different types of scans that can be performed:

• Quick Scan checks only where spyware is most likely to be found.

• Full Scan checks all memory, running processes, and folders.

• Custom Scan checks only the drives and folders that you select.

By default, Windows Defender performs a Quick Scan every morning at 2:00 a.m. You can change this setting by using the Tools menu option as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. The Options page in Windows Defender

Programs are classified into four spyware alert levels (see Figure 4);

• Severe

• High

• Medium

• Low

Figure 4. Spyware alert levels

Depending on the alert level, you can choose to have Windows Defender ignore, quarantine, remove, or always allow software.

In the next section we will look at how to configure the many different options of Windows Defender.