Hardening Windows

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.

Jonathan Hassell is a systems administrator and IT consultant residing in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is currently employed by one of the largest departments on campus at North Carolina State University, supporting a computing environment that consists of Windows NT, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Sun Solaris, and HP-UX machines. Hassell has extensive experience in networking technologies and Internet connectivity. He currently runs his own web hosting business, Enable Hosting, based out of both Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jonathan's previously published work includes RADIUS, which serves as a detailed guide to the RADIUS authentication protocol and offers suggestions for implementing RADIUS and overall network security.