Data Execution Prevention (DEP) helps prevent damage from
viruses and other
security threats that attack by running (executing) malicious code from memory
locations that only
Windows and other programs should use. This type of threat
causes damage by taking over one or more
memory locations in use by a program.
Then it spreads and harms other programs, files and even your
e-mail contacts. DEP monitors your
programs to determine if they use system memory safely. To do this, DEP software
works alone or with compatible microprocessors to mark some memory locations as
"non-executable". If a program tries to run code, malicious or not, from a
protected location, DEP closes the program and notifies you.
DEP can take advantage of software and hardware support. To use DEP, your
computer must be running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later, or
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or later.
