Microsoft's Baseline Security Analyzer is a free tool that scans computers running Windows XP and Windows Vista to identify security threats and vulnerable features and functions. You can download it from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/cc184924.aspx. You can use the Baseline Security Analyzer to scan your own computer, or as network manager, you can test other computers connected to yours through your LAN. Baseline Security Analyzer provides a quick and easy way to find and fix many common security issues.

Figure 13-22 shows the result of a Baseline Security Analyzer scan. For each item it identifies, you can click a link to an explanation (What was scanned) and instructions for correcting the problem.

Figure 13-22. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer finds potential security problems and offers instructions for fixing them.