Windows Vista has included lots of new features to enhance the security of the operating system. Some specific areas where Windows Vista introduces new security and safety mechanisms include User Account Control, parental controls, Network Access Protection, a built-in anti-malware tool, and new digital content protection mechanisms. In addition, with Microsoft's announcement of their Trustworthy Computing initiative, a great deal of work has gone into making Windows Vista a more secure operating system than its predecessors. Internally, Microsoft adopted a "Security Development Lifecycle" with the underlying ethos of, "Secure by design, secure by default, secure in deployment". New code for Windows Vista was developed with the SDL methodology, and all existing code was reviewed and refactored to improve security.
In the following table, the main security problems/risks and the corresponding solutions provided in the Windows Vista are listed as a quick reference.
| Security Problems/Risks | Vista Solutions/Features | Vista Edition | User in control |
| Data protection | |||
| Personal file and data loss/corruption | File and Folder Backup | All | All |
| Catastrophic hard drive failure | Complete PC Backup | Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate | Admin |
| Disclosure of sensitive data | File and Folder encryption using Encryption File System | All | All |
| Data theft or PC loss | System (or folder) encryption using BitLocker | Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate | Admin |
| OS or application updates | |||
| OS and Application Outdated | Windows Update Link in the Windows Security Center to update OS and selected software automatically or manually. | All | All |
| User and access management | |||
| Installation of un-authorized software | User Account Control:Over-the-shoulder credentials. Standard user can not install software without admin approval; admin can install application but could be set with prompt for credentials too. | All | Admin |
| Un-authorized system configuration changes | Only admin is allowed to change registry information; Using RegEdit to view and modify registry data is recommended. | All | Admin |
| Some user has un-necessary privileges to view system data or perform some harmful functions | User rights management: admin can assign user rights to accounts or groups to perform different functions | All | Admin |
| Someone may do something harmful on the system but deny it | Using Vista logging and auditing policy | All | Admin |
| User (such as a child) viewing un-permitted Internet contents | Windows Parental Controls | Vista Start, Home Basic and Premium | Admin |
| Restrict user to access some network or local objects | Vista allows to set Object Level security:Discretionary Access Control List and NTFS permissions | Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate | Access control user, or Admin type of users |
| Anti-Malware | |||
| Virus/Worm/Trojan | Windows Defender; IE7 Setting Binary Behavior Restrictions | All | All |
| Spyware/Adsware | Windows Defender | ||
| Reduce Damages of Malware | Service Hardening: Least privilege for services, Service isolation and Firewall policy at service level | All | Not required. |
| ActiveX | IE7: ActiveX Opt-In | All | All |
| Cross domain scripting attacks | IE7 allows user to see the real domain address of the site instead of the “pretended domain name” | All | All |
| Internet Threats | |||
| Un-authorized access to the system from the Internet or other users in the internal network | Windows Firewall: Blocking incoming access to the system as configured | All | Admin |
| Sending data to people by mistake | Windows Firewall: Blocking outgoing communication as configured | All | Admin |
| Phishing | IE7: Phishing Filter | All | All |
| Vista Wireless Security | |||
| ID disclosure during wireless communications | -Passive discovery prior to connecting to network for reducing risk. -Client generated random key for temporary network |
All | All |
| Wireless Data confidentiality | -Supporting strong encryption protocols: WPA, WPA2, PAP, PEAP-MS-CHAPv2, EAP-TLS and WEP; -Alerting and prompting for connecting to unencrypted wireless network. -Differentiate network profile such as private or public. |
All | All |