A couple of days back, Mala came across a program on her personal computer that she didn't remember installing. She was worried because no one else used that computer. Mala immediately checked with her colleagues in the tech support group. They told her about malware—malicious software that gets installed on the computer without users' knowledge as they browse the Internet.
Malware slows down the computer and interrupts work by displaying annoying pop-ups or changing Internet and other settings. Thankfully, Mala's colleagues also knew the solution—Windows Vista's new User Account Control (UAC) feature.
UAC can help stop unwanted changes to your computer. It notifies you of the changes that will be made to your computer and lets you decide whether or not to allow them. So, it is virtually impossible for software to be installed on your computer without your knowledge.
How It Works
As User Access Control is enabled by default, you would normally not need to access or change its settings. However, in case you want to access UAC settings, the easiest way to do so is to type user account control in the Instant Search box. The context-sensitive search box starts displaying results even as you type. In the results, click the User Account Control link to access the UAC settings.
How to Use
Now that Mala has installed Windows Vista on her machine, User Account Control is enabled by default. UAC adjusts the permission level based on the activity Mala is performing. When she is creating a document or reading e-mail, she has the permissions of a standard user. Now if a program running in the background tries to install software or do something else that requires administrator permissions, UAC displays a dialog box prompt like the one shown above. If this is a malicious installation started without Mala's knowledge, she simply clicks Cancel to stop it and return to her work.
However, if it is a genuine installation that Mala wants to start, she clicks Continue, provides the administrator password.
Like Mala, you too can now ensure that malicious software has no way of silently installing itself on your computer. Just enable User Account Control on your computer. UAC will protect your PC from infiltration. At the same time, you can use Internet Explorer 7 to prevent phishing and make your online experience safer by. What’s more, you can use Windows Defender to protect your PC from malware and other threats in real time.
Malware slows down the computer and interrupts work by displaying annoying pop-ups or changing Internet and other settings. Thankfully, Mala's colleagues also knew the solution—Windows Vista's new User Account Control (UAC) feature.
UAC can help stop unwanted changes to your computer. It notifies you of the changes that will be made to your computer and lets you decide whether or not to allow them. So, it is virtually impossible for software to be installed on your computer without your knowledge.
How It Works
As User Access Control is enabled by default, you would normally not need to access or change its settings. However, in case you want to access UAC settings, the easiest way to do so is to type user account control in the Instant Search box. The context-sensitive search box starts displaying results even as you type. In the results, click the User Account Control link to access the UAC settings.
How to Use
Now that Mala has installed Windows Vista on her machine, User Account Control is enabled by default. UAC adjusts the permission level based on the activity Mala is performing. When she is creating a document or reading e-mail, she has the permissions of a standard user. Now if a program running in the background tries to install software or do something else that requires administrator permissions, UAC displays a dialog box prompt like the one shown above. If this is a malicious installation started without Mala's knowledge, she simply clicks Cancel to stop it and return to her work.
However, if it is a genuine installation that Mala wants to start, she clicks Continue, provides the administrator password.
Like Mala, you too can now ensure that malicious software has no way of silently installing itself on your computer. Just enable User Account Control on your computer. UAC will protect your PC from infiltration. At the same time, you can use Internet Explorer 7 to prevent phishing and make your online experience safer by. What’s more, you can use Windows Defender to protect your PC from malware and other threats in real time.
