by Greg Schwartz

Created on: November 22, 2009

The Windows XP Security Center is a handy little console you can use to monitor and change certain system security settings. The Security Center does not guarantee that your computer will be safe from hackers, viruses, or spyware - it is merely a convenient tool to help prevent your computer from intrusion or attack.

The Security Center can be accessed through the Control Panel. It gathers information from several different Windows applications and provides it to you in one place. In the Security Center you can view settings for the Windows Firewall, Automatic Updates, your anti-virus program, and the Internet options for Internet Explorer.

- Windows Firewall

There are many third-party firewall applications, some free and some not so free. If you are running the Windows Firewall (which is pretty good for a free program) you can use the Security Center to monitor the firewall settings.

The main (and only) Security Center page will show you whether or not the firewall is currently enabled. To enable/disable it, or to make changes to the way it runs or add exceptions, click on the Windows Firewall link in the bottom half of the window.

- Automatic Updates

Automatic Updates (if enabled) finds and downloads updates for Windows as they become available. From the Security Center you can turn Automatic Updates on or off, as well as change how the updates are handled. You can also access the Automatic Updates settings by right-clicking on My Computer, selecting Properties, and clicking the Automatic Updates tab.

- Virus Protection

Virus protection is typically handled by a third-party anti-virus program. If you do not have an anti-virus program installed, the Security Center will show that you are not protected, and will display an alert when you boot up your computer (in the System Tray).

If you do have an anti-virus program running and it is current on its updates and scans, the Security Center will show your virus protection as being "On." Clicking on the downward arrow (for details) will display the name of your anti-virus program, but you can not modify any of the settings from here. You will have to open the program itself to make any changes.

- Internet Options

Clicking on Internet Options in the Security Center will bring up Internet Explorer's options window. (This window can also be accessed by clicking on the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and choosing Internet Options from the drop-down menu.)

From this window, you can view and change many of Internet Explorer's various options, including security and privacy settings. Any settings changed from the Security Center will affect Internet Explorer the next time you run it.


The Windows XP Security Center is a one-stop shop to manage some of Windows' various settings. If you use the Security Center often, you can create a shortcut to it and pin it to the Start menu for easy access.

Learn more about this author, Greg Schwartz.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.