PC Makers Seize the Reins of XP SP2 Security

By Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft Watch
October 20, 2004


While they are bullish about Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2), PC
makers aren't putting all of their security eggs in the Microsoft
basket.

PC vendors are well on their way toward getting SP2, Microsoft Corp.'s
most recent operating-system update, preloaded on all of their new
machines. But many PC vendors are complementing—and in some cases
replacing—SP2 features with third-party products.

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Take Hewlett-Packard Co., for instance. HP is currently preloading SP2
on its Pavilion and Compaq Presario lines, as well as on its HP Media
Center PCs (which run the Windows XP Media Center Edition variant of
SP2).

But HP isn't using SP2 as is, said Carol Ozaki, senior product manager
for consumer PCs at HP. Instead, the company is replacing the Windows
Security Center status bar with Symantec's Norton Security Center.

The company also is offering Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall and
Norton Antivirus preloaded on HP consumer systems. And it is
preloading Intermute's SpySubtract anti-spyware and SpamSubtract
spam-filtering software on new systems, to boot.

The Norton Security Center is a utility that allows users to monitor
the status of their anti-virus, firewall and Windows Automatic Update
components. It parallels almost feature-for-feature the Windows
Security Center that Microsoft has built into Windows XP SP2.



While Microsoft has said SP2 provides customers with a first line of
defense against attacks, worms and spyware, the company has advised
customers to continue to use third-party anti-virus, firewall and
other software to which they are accustomed to further secure their
PCs.

HP is preloading the Norton Personal Firewall because it is a "much
more feature-rich product" than the Windows Firewall that Microsoft
includes for free as part of Windows XP SP2, Ozaki said. The Symantec
firewall blocks outbound traffic, whereas the Windows firewall blocks
only inbound traffic, she added.

PointerRead more here about the Windows Firewall.

At the same time, HP is going to the trouble of removing the Windows
Security Center and replacing it with the Norton Security Center
because the Symantec product is easier to use, she said.



With Symantec's offering, "If an antivirus product is not on or
up-to-date, you can easily check and turn it on," Ozaki said. "With
the Windows environment, it's more difficult."

Microsoft released Windows XP SP2 to manufacturing on Aug. 6. The
company began pushing the SP2 upgrade to users via Automatic
Update/Windows Update in mid-August. And retailers such as Amazon.com,
Best Buy and Circuit City began carrying SP2 in early October.

PointerTo read the full story on Microsoft Watch, click here.

Email Order Reprints of this Article.


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