Microsoft has a single generalized answer to all life's problems, but especially end user protection, and that answer is of course Windows Vista. Six months after its operating system hit the shelves, and an estimated 60 million shipped licenses later, Microsoft is still beating the old drum of Vista is the most secure Windows operating system available. The main quintessential answer that Microsoft is delivering to the online security issue is Vista, courtesy of Adrienne Hall, senior director of the Trustworthy Computing Group.

"Microsoft continues to make technology investments that offer safer alternatives to consumers through new technologies. For example, we've made a number of advancements to better protect our customers online within our new operating system, Windows Vista. Windows Vista has the firewall, automatic updates and anti-spyware built in and turned on by default. Windows Vista also enables customers to easily sign up for whichever anti-virus service they want to use. In addition, for the first time in a Windows operating system, Vista includes built-in parental controls to help families have a safer computing experience," Hall revealed.

Still, Microsoft is emphasizing the fact that Vista is by no means 100% secure. Nor is it a silver bullet solution against attacks. The best proof in this aspect is the Redmond company getting into the security industry with Windows Live OneCare and Forefront line of products. Hall even manages to have a delicious reaction to the possibility of users not having Vista installed, meaning approximately 95% of the operating system market.

"If people don't have Windows Vista, we urge them to follow Microsoft's Protect Your PC guidance of enabling a firewall, regularly updating their software through automatic updates, and installing anti-virus and anti-spyware software," Hall says assuming of course that the rest of the world is Windows-centric, which it undoubtedly is for the most part, enough to ignore Apple and Linux users.

Hall also has the perfect recipe for online security: Windows Vista, Windows Live OneCare and that's about it. "We continue to make many technology investments that offer safer alternatives for consumers. I've already mentioned Windows Vista - our most secure operating system to date. And there's Windows Live OneCare. For people who don't have Windows Vista yet, we have a service that people can download from the Internet at no charge, called Windows Live Family Safety, which provides parental controls settings."