Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) helps protect your computer against the insertion of malicious code into areas of computer memory reserved for non-executable code by implementing a set of hardware and software-enforced technologies called Data Execution Prevention (DEP). Hardware-enforced DEP is a feature of certain processors that prevents the execution of code in memory regions that are marked as data storage. This feature is also known as No-Execute and Execution Protection. Windows XP SP2 also includes software-enforced DEP that is designed to reduce exploits of exception handling mechanisms in Windows.

For more information on memory protection and how to configure it, check out http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc700810.aspx

HTH,

Tom

Thomas W Shinder, M.D., MCSE
Sr. Consultant / Technical Writer
Prowess Consulting www.prowessconsulting.com
PROWESS CONSULTING documentation | integration | virtualization
Email: tshinder@isaserver.org
MVP — Forefront Edge Security (ISA/TMG/IAG)