The Microsoft Windows operating system (OS) is one of the most popular OSs in the world. Although the company releases a new OS every three to four years (sometimes a bit faster), there are a number of common tasks that extend across software versions; albeit, the specific steps required to accomplish the task may differ …
An Overview of Access Control Allowing users and computers unlimited access to system resources and network resources can ultimately compromise the security and stability of an organization. Even though users and computers need to access network and system resources to perform certain tasks, the access that they require should be limited to those necessary to …
With Windows NT 4.0, came the launch of the System Policy Editor feature which enabled administrators to manage the security settings of the system through a single user interface. The System Policy Editor feature allowed administrators to easily manage configurations of multiple computers because configuration settings could be copied between systems. With the introduction of …
An Introduction to the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) It has grown more important to ensure the confidentiality and integrity for data communication where an organization's network contains intranets, extranets, and Internet Web sites. Because of the connectivity of networks today, an organization's network is exposed to unauthorized users who could possibly attempt to access and …
User accounts allow Microsoft Windows to differentiate between computer users in order to determine the rights they should have. Each user account is assigned its own location on the hard disk for file storage. There is a collection of settings pertaining to each account that is stored in the computer’s Registry. Methods for Limiting a …
Wireless Network Security Threats Wireless networks do not have the inbuilt physical security of wired networks, and are unfortunately more prone to attacks from intruders. Once unauthorized access is gained to the wireless network, the intruder would be able to easily access the resources of the corporate, internal network. To complicate matters, there are numerous …
The file server role stores data for network users, and provides access to users for files stored on the file server. File servers enable users to store files in a centralized location and share files with another user. The print server role provides network printing capabilities for the network. Through the print server role, you …
Internet Authentication Service (IAS) Overview In most organizations that have multiple network access servers, the centralization of authentication and accounting of connections being established at a centralized server is the better approach than each network access server performing authentication and accounting services. The Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) protocol is the recognized protocol for …
What is Authentication Authentication is the process whereby the system identifies legitimate users from unauthorized users. It is the process in which a user identifies his/her self to the system. How effective an authentication process is, is determined by the authentication protocols and mechanisms being used. Windows Server 2003 provides a few different authentication types …
Understanding Security Policy Types With Windows Server 2003, you can implement and manage security settings at the following levels: Local computer (local security policies) Active Directory site, domain, or organizational unit (domain security policies) Local security policies are managed through Local Computer Group Policy Objects (GPOs), and domain security policies are managed through Group Policy …