How much of a security risk is a guest Windows XP system?

[Preston Crawford]

Another question. As I mentioned earlier, I recently got a Palmtop that I
need Windows for. I don't mind, but I have to admit it's tempted me back
to the ease of just having Windows as a desktop. However, if it's just as
easy to keep Windows always running or to have it be easily suspendable,
that would be fine too. Another question along the earlier lines is that
of what are the risks of leaving Windows XP running? Does it sit on the
network in the same fashion as any other computer and thus is it
vulnerable to attacks in the same fashion? My whole network is behind a
DLink router, so I feel relatively safe. But I still use firewalls on my
computers behind the firewall. So I'm a little security paranoid.

Preston

[John Thompson]

Post by Preston Crawford
Another question. As I mentioned earlier, I recently got a Palmtop that I
need Windows for. I don't mind, but I have to admit it's tempted me back
to the ease of just having Windows as a desktop. However, if it's just as
easy to keep Windows always running or to have it be easily suspendable,
that would be fine too. Another question along the earlier lines is that
of what are the risks of leaving Windows XP running? Does it sit on the
network in the same fashion as any other computer and thus is it
vulnerable to attacks in the same fashion?

Yup. It appears as just another machine on your network, so if your
network is vulnerable the VM is also vulnerable -- but only while the VM
is running. A suspended VM is completely offline, like a machine that
has been powered down.

Post by Preston Crawford
My whole network is behind a
DLink router, so I feel relatively safe. But I still use firewalls on my
computers behind the firewall. So I'm a little security paranoid.

One advantage of a VM is that you can save a "snapshot" of a good, working
configuration and resume from it if anything bad happens to the current
VM.