The 'Security Center' is a utility that is found in the 'Control Panel' on Windows XP (SP2 and above) and Windows Vista.
It was added into Service Pack 2 of Windows XP to help you identify and manage the security essentials on your PC, and has continued on into Vista. Below is a screenshot of the 'Security Center', on the left for Windows XP and on the right for Windows Vista.
Click on Screenshot to enlargeIn this utility you can check and manage your 'Firewall', 'Automatic Updates', 'Virus Protection' and other security settings, if using Vista.
Firewall: Your firewall is your first defence against threats external to your PC, and it highly recommended to be turned on. A good way to think of a firewall is looking at it as a physical gate that is between your PC and the Internet. This gate can be configured to block software and malicious software from accessing your PC or from sending information from your PC to the Internet.
Automatic Updates: Updates from Microsoft that make sure you have the latest bug and security updates for your PC. This is recommended to be activated as it ensures that updates are automatically downloaded and applied to your PC, so that you are kept up-to-date with any security threats.
Virus/Malware Protection: Checks to see if any anti-virus and spyware (if using vista) are installed to protect your PC. Viruses are programs that can play havoc with your PC, such as deleting files or changing settings. Spyware programs can monitor the Internet sites you visit and steal your personal information. It is recommended that you have installed anti-virus and spyware software on your PC and that it is kept updated, to ensure that if any infections are found on your PC they can be removed or quarantined.
In order to keep your PC performance to a good level it is recommended that you have the above options turned on and that updates for Windows, Anti-Virus and Spyware are downloaded and installed on a regular basis. Be sure to schedule and run scans for viruses and spyware on a regular basis as well.
Firewall: Your firewall is your first defence against threats external to your PC, and it highly recommended to be turned on. A good way to think of a firewall is looking at it as a physical gate that is between your PC and the Internet. This gate can be configured to block software and malicious software from accessing your PC or from sending information from your PC to the Internet.
Automatic Updates: Updates from Microsoft that make sure you have the latest bug and security updates for your PC. This is recommended to be activated as it ensures that updates are automatically downloaded and applied to your PC, so that you are kept up-to-date with any security threats.
Virus/Malware Protection: Checks to see if any anti-virus and spyware (if using vista) are installed to protect your PC. Viruses are programs that can play havoc with your PC, such as deleting files or changing settings. Spyware programs can monitor the Internet sites you visit and steal your personal information. It is recommended that you have installed anti-virus and spyware software on your PC and that it is kept updated, to ensure that if any infections are found on your PC they can be removed or quarantined.
In order to keep your PC performance to a good level it is recommended that you have the above options turned on and that updates for Windows, Anti-Virus and Spyware are downloaded and installed on a regular basis. Be sure to schedule and run scans for viruses and spyware on a regular basis as well.