XP SP2s new firewall: Not good enough

With Microsoft having released Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) to manufacturing, the technology that some have nicknamed "Security Pack 2," coupled with recent rumblings from Microsoft, are spinning the spotlight towards the personal firewall and anti-virus sectors.

For starters, after installing SP2, users of XP will notice the addition of a security dashboard to Windows' Control Panel known as the Security Center. This simple status report on your system's defenses answers such basic questions as whether your firewall and anti-virus systems are turned on, whether your anti-virus solution is using the most recent signature file, and whether your operating system has received all available critical updates.