Technique

Dan Cameron

After some time and speculation, the final version of Windows XP Service Pack 2 has been released. In my testing, Service Pack 2 installed without any complications, although it is a long install, as it patches many components of Windows.

Microsoft's attempts at better securing Windows XP are evident from the first reboot after Service Pack 2's installation. Before reaching the logon screen, you are prompted to enable Automatic Updates on your computer. This is a much more direct approach than the easily ignored taskbar icon Windows XP previously used.

Also turned on by default is the Windows Firewall. This closes network ports on the computer by default, preventing unwanted probing or intrusions. Similar to, but less robust than third-party firewalls, such as ZoneAlarm, the Windows Firewall will notify you when a program is attempting to access the network. You can then choose to allow or deny access. While it's good to see this enabled by default, it is likely that less savvy users will simply be in the habit of clicking the allow option without considering what program is accessing the network. One nice touch is that Service Pack 2 recognizes third-party firewalls and disables the Windows Firewall to prevent conflicts.

Service Pack 2 is also capable of monitoring antivirus software to make sure that virus definitions are up to date. I found this to be less than ideal, as it does not recognize our Symantec Corporate AntiVirus properly, suggesting that we may need to buy new antivirus software. This feature could prove confusing if you are using an antivirus client of which Service Pack 2 is unaware.

Service Pack 2 groups these three major security enhancements under the Windows Security control panel. From this panel you can check the status of the firewall, automatic updates and antivirus and get help on how to use these features.