Powershell by default is initially disabled, presumably for security reasons.
When I ask for it to be enabled so I can use it, the Admins are cautious to take action that may leave the server more vulnerable and as a result, it isn’t enabled and I am left waiting.
Granted that Microsoft has a lousy track record for security and that leaving a feature disabled is probably in theory more secure that enabling it, but that goes with anything.
Is Powershell inherently more dangerous that it should be feared more so than any other Windows scripting language?
In addition to what @manojlds pointed out a good article to checkout.
Don Jones puts it this way: “It is no more dangerous than anything else.”
The security with PowerShell can actually be controlled by Group Policy (those execution policies @manojlds mentioned). You will actually see it enabled by default when you get to Window Server 2008 R2. Then a number of Microsoft products are now installing it and enabling it for you (Exchange 2010, SharePoint 2010, SQL Server 2008 R2). I would have to say that Microsoft has greatly improved their track record with PowerShell.