Hardening Windows, Second Edition
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Overview
Hardening is the process of protecting a system against unknown threats. System administrators harden against that which they think could be a threat. Administrators know the Internet is a hostile environment. Although they can't tell, for example, that a hacker will attempt to gain access to the SQL server next Tuesday, they can bet money there'll be an attempt soon and should "batten down the hatches" in anticipation.
Hardening Windows, Second Edition is the definitive "counterintelligence" guide to performing preventative security measures for the Windows operating system. This second edition covers the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 and its new security features, including the Windows Firewall and the Security Center. It also covers Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, Windows Server R2's new Security Configuration Wizard, Windows NT, Windows 2000, branch-office security features, and new setup options. A new chapter has been added on Windows Software Update Services. All chapters have been updated to reflect reader feedback from the first edition. Topics covered include system and group policies, Network Access Quarantine Control, auditing and event logs, IIS, and Exchange.
Synopsis
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.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewYou 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.