Hardening Windows

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Hardening Windows

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Overview

System administrators know the Internet is a hostile environment. They can't tell when a hacker will attempt to gain access to the SQL server, but they can bet that there will be an attempt soon. Because the operating system is vital to a computer's functioning, and because it's the only layer between the machine's available resources and its users, it's critical that the operating system resist compromise.

Hardening Windows is an intermediate-to-advanced guide to implementing preventative security measures for the Windows operating system, and it's the only book that covers NT, 2000, XP, and 2003. This book is designed to provide a quick and easy checklist-style reference to the steps system administrators need to take to anticipate attacks and compromises, and to harden Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Server 2003 against them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781430206811
Publisher:	Apress
Publication date:	01/01/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Jonathan Hassell is an author, consultant, and speaker on a variety of IT topics. His published works include RADIUS, Hardening Windows, Using Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, and Learning Windows Server 2003. His work appears regularly in such periodicals as Windows IT Pro, PC Pro, and TechNet Magazine. Jonathan also speaks worldwide on topics ranging from networking and security to Windows administration. He is currently an editor for Apress, which specializes in books for programmers and IT professionals.

	About the Author	ix
	About the Technical Reviewer	x
	Acknowledgments	xi
	Introduction	xiii
Chapter 1	Hardening: Theory and General Practice	1
	What Is Security?	2
	The Security Dilemma	3
	Enemies of Security	4
	Some General Hardening Suggestions	4
	Software Considerations	5
	Hardware and Network Considerations	6
	Checkpoints	8
Chapter 2	Windows NT Security	11
	Windows NT System Policy Editor	11
	Customizing and Applying Group Policies	12
	Resolving Conflicts Between Multiple Policies	13
	Recommended User Policy Settings	13
	Passwords	18
	Password Policies	18
	Password Cracking	19
	Protecting User Accounts	20
	Registry Procedures	21
	Protecting the File System	21
	Locking Down Local Directories	22
	Search Paths	23
	Guarding Against Internet Threats	23
	Windows NT Port Filtering	24
	Protecting Against Viruses	24
	Assigning Rights to Users	25
	Granting and Revoking User Rights	26
	Checkpoints	30
Chapter 3	Windows 2000 Security	33
	System Updates	33
	The "Slipstreaming" Process	34
	Critical Updates and Security Hotfixes	35
	Managing Critical Updates Across Multiple Computers	35
	Security Templates	37
	Creating a Custom Security Template	38
	Recommended Security Policy Settings	40
	User Accounts	40
	Local Options	42
	Other Security Considerations	45
	Windows Component Selection and Installation	45
	Tightening Running Services	45
	Checkpoints	46
Chapter 4	Windows XP Security	49
	Implementing a Firewall	49
	Changes to Services	51
	Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer Patch Check and Security Tests	64
	Installing Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer	64
	Penetration Tests	65
	File System Security	65
	Disable Automated Logins	66
	Hardening Default Accounts	66
	Using Forensic Analysis Techniques	68
	Checkpoints	69
Chapter 5	Defining Enterprise Security Policies with Windows 2000 and Later	71
	System Policies, Group Policies, and Interaction	72
	Mixing Policies and Operating Systems	73
	Security and the Group Policy Framework	77
	Organized Layout of Policies	78
	Policy Application Precedence	79
	Creating Security Configuration Files	80
	Default Domain Policy	82
	Default Domain Controller Security Policies	82
	Troubleshooting Group Policy	83
	Checkpoints	84
Chapter 6	Patch Management	87
	About Software Update Services	87
	Comparing Software Update Services to Systems Management Server	88
	Using Software Update Services: On the Server Side	90
	Using SUS: On the Client Side	99
	Checkpoints	102
Chapter 7	Network Access quarantine Control	105
	How Network Access Quarantine Works	106
	A Step-by-Step Overview of Network Access Quarantine Control	106
	Deploying NAQC	108
	Creating Quarantined Resources	108
	Writing the Baseline Script	109
	Installing the Listening Components	112
	Creating a Quarantined Connection Profile	113
	Distributing the Profile to Remote Users	116
	Configuring the Quarantine Policy	116
	Checkpoints	122
Chapter 8	Internet Information Services Security	123
	Completely Disable IIS	123
	Checking for Updates on Machines	124
	Keeping IIS Updated	126
	Securing Files, Folders, and Scripts	127
	The Microsoft Indexing Service	129
	TCP/IP Port Evaluation	131
	Administrative and Default Pages	133
	The Ins and Outs of Internet Services Application Programming Interface	134
	Looking at Apache as an Alternative	134
	Checkpoints	135
Chapter 9	Exchange 2000 Server Security	137
	Installation Security	137
	Security Policy Modifications	138
	For Exchange Server Machines	139
	For Domain Controller Machines	139
	Service Security	140
	Patch Management	141
	Protecting Against Address Spoofing	142
	Protecting Against Denial-of-Service Attacks	144
	Restricting SMTP Access	146
	Controlling Access	148
	Checkpoints	149
Chapter 10	Security Auditing and Event Logs	151
	For Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003	151
	Recommended Items to Audit	153
	Event Logs	153
	For Windows NT 4.0	155
	Recommended Items to Audit	156
	The Event Log	157
	Filtering Events	157
	What Might Be Missing	158
	Checkpoints	158
Appendix	Quick-Reference Checklists	161
	Index	173

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
You could spend morning ’til night protecting your Windows systems, from now until you retire. But if you'd rather leave some time for other things, read Hardening Windows. In less than 200 pages, Jonathan Hassell distills the massive field of Windows security into a set of practical techniques that deliver the greatest value in the least time.
There are 145 separate techniques here, primarily for Windows XP, 2000, NT, the Internet Information Services web server, and Microsoft Exchange (though some also address Windows Server 2003). Most of these techniques require less than a page to explain. Many -- though, of course, not all -- can be implemented very quickly.
Hassell covers a wide swath: system policies, security templates, passwords, user accounts, the Registry, penetration testing, auditing, event logs, forensic analysis, and more. He also presents substantial coverage of some of Microsoft’s increasingly useful tools, notably Software Update Services and Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer for Windows XP.
Many Windows administrators are still struggling to secure mobile notebooks. Hassell presents a full chapter on Network Access Quarantine Control (NAQC), which enables Windows Server 2003 to limit access to remote users whose notebooks aren’t up-to-date and secure.
The book is realistic about issues like coping with diverse Windows clients. And it’s full of urgent fixes that are easy to miss. (If you’re not careful, Indexing Service might capture angry letters to superiors, love notes to mistresses, secret payroll information -- making them all conveniently searchable.) If it weren’t already useful enough, it even contains quick-reference checklists for everything from policies to auditing. Bill Camarda
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2003 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.

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Hardening Windows

Hardening Windows

eBook1st ed. (1st ed.)

eBook(1st ed.)

Related collections and offers

Overview

Product Details

About the Author

Table of Contents

Customer Reviews

Related collections and offers

Overview

Product Details

About the Author

Table of Contents

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Customer Reviews