VirtualPC Security

  • Thread starter Thread starter kjk
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kjk

If WinXP is running as a VirtualPC within Vista, what degree of
internet security does it have . . . WinXP security, or Vista
security?
 
kjk said:
If WinXP is running as a VirtualPC within Vista, what degree of
internet security does it have . . . WinXP security, or Vista
security?
Click to expand...

If it has direct access to the network card XP security.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by "internet security". If you are referring to
firewall and anti-virus, those will need to be installed and activated
within the VirtualPC XP instance. Your Vista protection won't effectively
protect the XP.
 
Consider that your virtual machine is a stand alone computer. Any security
you would install on the stand alone, you should install on the virtual
machine.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
kjk said:
If WinXP is running as a VirtualPC within Vista, what degree of
internet security does it have . . . WinXP security, or Vista
security?
Click to expand...

It has exactly the same degree of security it would have if it were
running on a standalone box. Your virtual machines are *real* operating
systems and need to be protected exactly as you would protect them on a
standalone box. The only difference is that if your virtual OS gets
infected you can just delete the virtual machine. HOWEVER, please be
aware that if your virtual OS is networked and it gets infected by a
network-aware worm, all your other computers on that network are in
danger - just like they would be if the OS were installed on a separate
physical computer connected to your network.


Malke
 
As I understand it, Vista has a more secure firewall than WinXP. So,
running within a virtual machine, if the WinXP system gets infected,
or broken into from the internet, the Vista system and all its related
program files can't be accessed by the intruder. The only thing that
could be affected is the WinXP system and a network that's directly
connected to it. Do I understand that right?

------------------------------
 
kjk said:
As I understand it, Vista has a more secure firewall than WinXP. So,
running within a virtual machine, if the WinXP system gets infected,
or broken into from the internet, the Vista system and all its related
program files can't be accessed by the intruder. The only thing that
could be affected is the WinXP system and a network that's directly
connected to it. Do I understand that right?
Click to expand...


It all depends on how you have set up the networking for the vm and how well
protected Vista is. Under normal circumstances you are right. For all
intents and purposes XP in the vm can be considered a physically separate
computer.
 
kjk said:
As I understand it, Vista has a more secure firewall than WinXP. So,
running within a virtual machine, if the WinXP system gets infected,
or broken into from the internet, the Vista system and all its related
program files can't be accessed by the intruder. The only thing that
could be affected is the WinXP system and a network that's directly
connected to it. Do I understand that right?
Click to expand...

It really depends on what you are using the XP VM for. If you just want
to have XP to run a few things then you would simply take the normal
precautions you would with any XP machine on your network; i.e., have a
current version av installed, use the SP2 firewall, and practice Safe
Hex. If you are thinking about doing really risky surfing with the XP VM
and/or testing malware, then I'd definitely isolate the XP VM and the
host machine from any other lan you have set up.


Malke
 
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