With Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced a new feature called the Sidebar. The Sidebar can be configured to display on the left or right of the screen and may be configured to stay on top of all other windows so that the information is always available. By default, Vista comes with a handful of Gadgets that you can plug in to the Sidebar. These Gadgets include things like a clock, a calendar, a picture slideshow, the local weather, etc. There are many other Gadgets available however. These are my Top Picks for Vista Sidebar Gadgets that are related to security and helping you to monitor your computer security.

1. AlertCon

Do you like to know what the general security posture of the Internet is? Internet Security Systems (ISS) provides an overall "barometer" of Internet-wide security issues. Like the DHS terror alert levels, ISS has a four-level Internet threat level meter called AlertCon that immediately alerts users when there is some type of large-scale worm or virus infestation or other such network-disrupting activity. This gadget displays the current AlertCon status from the ISS web site (www.iss.net). The status will auto-refresh every sixty minutes.More »

2. Windows Firewall Profile

Primarily geared for network troubleshooting. The Windows Firewall Profile is a system-wide setting dynamically derived from the network connection state and attributes. This setting dictates the machine?s effective firewall?s policy. Knowing the current firewall profile indicates the effective firewall policy (and hence the attack surface size) to the user and also assists in troubleshooting.More »

3. Terror Alert Level

You don't have to stop at watching the state of Internet security with the AlertCon gadget. You can also monitor the current terror threat level from the Department of Homeland Security.More »

4. Wireless Network Controller

This gadget displays your wireless network's current status and details, such as the Connection Status, SSID, Signal Strength and Security Status. When opened, the gadget displays the SSID and Signal Strength. Click on the SSID to open the Details flyout for all the network details such as Signal Quality, Security Status and IP Address.More »

5. Memory Meter

The Memory Meter shows you all you need to know about the amount of memory currently in use, how much is left, the total memory available and a status bar. Memory utilization is not directly related to security, but monitoring memory usage may help you quickly detect malicious activity by alerting you when an inordinate amount of memory is being used.More »

6. Network Activity

Display network activity in real time. It displays two bars (TX/RX) that show your current thoughput. These bars have a text overlay showing you the exact speed that is being acheived. Similar to monitoring memory, watching network bandwidth utilization might help you identify malware issues or system compromises.More »