MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

Major Enhancements Included in Windows XP Service Pack 2
F01US01
The major enhancements in Windows XP Service Pack 2 include Security Center, Automatic
Updates, Windows Firewall, and Internet Explorer. This section describes these
enhancements in detail.
Security Center
Lesson 2 Identifying Major Features of Windows XP Service Pack 2
Security Center is an entirely new feature provided by Windows XP Service Pack 2. The
Security Center service runs as a background process in Windows XP and routinely
checks the status of the following components:
Windows Firewall Security Center detects whether Windows Firewall is enabled
or disabled. Security Center can also detect the presence of some third-party software
firewall products.
Automatic Updates Security Center detects the current Automatic Updates setting
in Windows XP. If Automatic Updates is turned off or not set to the recommended
settings, the Security Center provides appropriate recommendations.
Virus Protection Security Center detects the presence of antivirus software from
many third-party organizations. If the information is available, the Security Center
service also determines whether the software is up-to-date and whether real-time
scanning is turned on.
When Security Center is running, its presence is indicated by an icon in the notification
area on the Windows taskbar, as shown in Figure 1-1. When Security Center detects an
important security condition (such as improper settings), it displays a pop-up notice in
the notification area.
Figure 1-1 The Security Center icon in the notification area provides access to the Security Center
window and alerts the user to security conditions.
You can also double-click the Security Center icon in the notification area to open the
main Security Center window, shown in Figure 1-2. The Security Center window provides
the following information:
■ Resources where you can learn more about security-related issues.
■ An indication of whether Windows Firewall is enabled or disabled, as well as a
shortcut for opening the Windows Firewall dialog box.
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