Features

Features

• An extended look at Windows file management with PowerShell

  Scripting expert Christa Anderson explains how to use Windows PowerShell to create folders in a temporary directory and populate them from a network share.  Continue Reading

• Specops Password Policy 2.1

  Specops Password Policy 2.1 helps enforce better password management for Windows Active Directory  Continue Reading

• Recovery Manager for Active Directory Forest Edition

  This tool extends the value of Recovery Manager for Active Directory by allowing restoration of the entire forest to a point-in-time before the directory became corrupt.  Continue Reading

• ActiveBatch Enterprise Job Scheduling and Event Automation

  The ActiveBatch Enterprise Job Scheduling solution from Advanced Systems Concepts integrates business apps, standalone tasks, processes and scripts across diverse computing environments  Continue Reading

• Exchange Global Address List FAQs

  Get help troubleshooting your Exchange Global Address List (GAL) with this compilation of expert answers to frequently asked questions.  Continue Reading

• Network security assessment for network infrastructure

  In this excerpt from "Hacking for Dummies," read about the consequences of improper network security assessment and why you should test your network infrastructure vulnerabilities.  Continue Reading

• How to use PowerShell to build a disk cleanup utility

  For people interested in how things tick, computers can be a satisfying test medium because the changes you make have an immediate effect. But it's also possible to make changes that can't be reversed or can only be reversed with a lot of pain. ...  Continue Reading

• Exchange Server and Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

  Learn to install, configure and secure Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) for Exchange Server email communications with these tips, tools, and tutorials.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft network security testing for ARP spoofing

  Learn how to defend your network against address resolution protocol (ARP) spoofing attacks in this excerpt from Hacking for Dummies, 2nd edition.  Continue Reading

• How to get process information with Windows PowerShell

  In this column, Christa Anderson explains how to use Windows PowerShell's get-process cmdlet to retrieve information about the processes on your computer and how to kill the unnecessary ones.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft certification exam layout and design

  Check out this excerpt from MCSA/MCSE 70-290 Exam Cram: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment by Dan Balter and Patrick Regan, to find info on the types of question formats you'll come across when taking a Microsoft ...  Continue Reading

• Exchange public folder restore and recovery FAQs

  Uh oh. You've lost Exchange public folder data. Now what? Refer to this collection of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for some quick technical advice. Whether you need to recover deleted public folder data or subfolders or restore public folders ...  Continue Reading

• Making Windows PowerShell scripts able to accept arguments

  You script a task when you expect to be doing that task more than once. But you probably won't run exactly the same task each time. Rather than saving one script for every eventuality, we'll make the scripts able to accept arguments and assign them ...  Continue Reading

• Hacking for Dummies: Test your firewall rules

  Before someone else hacks your firewall, test your firewall rules during the self-hacking process to test your network's security. Learn about the tools involved in this excerpt from Chapter 9, "Network Infrastructure," from, Hacking for Dummies,...  Continue Reading

• How to save and run scripts with Windows PowerShell

  Learn how to save a Windows PowerShell cmdlet and edit Powershell settings so saved scripts will execute.  Continue Reading

• Filtering output from Windows PowerShell

  With PowerShell, it's pretty simple to browse Windows Management Instrumentation classes without cheating by filtering the content -- all it takes is a new cmdlet and working with variables.  Continue Reading

• Starting a clean install of Microsoft Windows Vista

  Learn why a clean install of the OS is preferred for installing Vista, and review the starting process for a Microsoft Windows Vista clean install.  Continue Reading

• Working with WMI providers to PowerShell

  Microsoft's new shell language, Windows PowerShell, works with data from .NET 2.0. But .NET doesn't always contain the objects you need. In this Scripting School column, Christa Anderson explains how to use PowerShell with Windows Management ...  Continue Reading

• Penetration testing: Five tips in five minutes

  What good is your network security plan if a hacker can simply break through your defenses? By testing your own network's security, you can find (and fix) the holes in your perimeter before an unauthorized attacker can take advantage. Check out ...  Continue Reading

• The Exchange Server and Active Directory Toolbox

  Discover a collection of tools that will help you tackle Exchange Server administration tasks that require the use of Active Directory.  Continue Reading

• Exchange Server and Active Directory FAQs

  From creating Exchange Server mailboxes and modifying SMTP addresses to bulk-importing data and configuring user permissions, this collection of frequently asked questions will teach you how to manage and manipulate Active Directory for easier ...  Continue Reading

• All about .OST files

  Offline store (.OST) files are a convenient feature for Microsoft Outlook users and a valuable disaster recovery option for Exchange Server administrators. Augment your .OST know-how with this compilation of tips, tools and expert advice on managing...  Continue Reading

• Exchange Server non-delivery report (NDR) FAQs

  Get tips on enabling and disabling Exchange Server non-delivery reports (NDRs), and learn how to decipher and troubleshoot NDR messages in this collection of expert advice.  Continue Reading

• The Microsoft Outlook Toolbox

  Discover over 20 must-have tools and add-ins that will boost Microsoft Outlook's security and performance capabilities and fix its feature flaws and shortcomings. This collection includes utilities such as Adolsign, OABInteg, SNARF, RSS Popper for ...  Continue Reading

• Checklist: Secure domain controller settings

  Don't get overwhelmed by the number of domain controller settings and Group Policy options. Active Directory expert Derek Melber reveals his list of essential settings for your domain controller's security.  Continue Reading

• Exchange Server and POP3 FAQs

  POP3 can be a convenience for end users, and sometimes it's a necessity for small businesses that rely on a hosted e-mail service. But Exchange administrators are the ones who have to deal with the inevitable hassles it introduces to an Exchange ...  Continue Reading

• Checklist: Top 5 Windows domain settings to audit

  Microsoft has gradually improved the default security settings of their products, but older software like your domain controllers might still harbor some bad default settings. That, according to audit specialist Derek Melber, makes them a prime ...  Continue Reading

• Deploying security templates

  This excerpt from Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide covers the four options for deploying security templates: Importing security templates into GPOs, using the Security Configuration and Analysis tool, using the Secedit.exe command-line ...  Continue Reading

• Understanding security templates

  Security templates can help you organize, configure and manage security throughout your Windows-based enterprise. This excerpt from Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide explains how to access, create and modify security templates, and how to ...  Continue Reading

• Server hardening

  This excerpt from Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide discusses the basic security baseline for a member server that is running in a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domain. In addition, best practice security configurations in the ...  Continue Reading

• General hardening techniques

  This excerpt from Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide focuses on the many techniques and tools available for hardening clients and servers, with special attention to controlling ports and services.  Continue Reading

• Group Policy Management Console

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• Who gets what? Deploying Group Policies

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• Local accounts and passwords

  Client computers' local accounts are one of the most overlooked security issues in any enterprise. Locking down these accounts and passwords is the first step in securing clients.  Continue Reading

• Local system permissions

  This excerpt from The Definitive Guide to Securing Windows in the Enterprise covers local system permissions and how you can reconfigure the default permissions to reduce the likelihood of an attacker gaining access to your network.  Continue Reading

• Folder redirection

  Folder redirection enables files to be centrally secured and audited on the server, eliminating the need to worry about local folders on a client's computer. This excerpt from The Definitive Guide to Securing Windows in the Enterprise ...  Continue Reading

• Outlook Web Access FAQs

  Whether you're troubleshooting a specific problem or you just want to learn more about OWA, you'll find the information you need here.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange and Windows Small Business Server FAQs

  Running Microsoft Exchange on Windows SBS can introduce certain unique issues for SMBs. Learn more about running Exchange on SBS in this collection of FAQs.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Windows Internals, Fourth Edition: Chapter 4: Management Mechanisms

  Delve inside the Windows kernel with noted internals experts Mark Russinovich and David Solomon, in collaboration with the Microsoft Windows product development team. This classic guide -- fully updated for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and ...  Continue Reading

• Lock down user access and privileges

  Malware tends to execute with privileges of the currently logged on user -- which is one reason why users should not be Administrators. Contributor Tony Bradley discusses this problem here.  Continue Reading

• Use SMB message signing and session security for NTLM

  This excerpt from Chapter 11 of Roberta Bragg's "Hardening Windows Systems" describes how to use SMB message signing and session security to guarantee the origination of the communication and enable encryption.  Continue Reading

• Harden the Remote Access Server

  This excerpt from Chapter 11 of Roberta Bragg's "Hardening Windows Systems" describes how to harden the remote access server.  Continue Reading

• Harden Windows Server 2000 and Windows Server 2003 RRAS Configuration

  This excerpt from Chapter 11 of Roberta Bragg's "Hardening Windows Systems" describes how to harden Windows Server 2000 and Windows Server 2003.  Continue Reading

• Use Remote Access Policies

  This excerpt from Chapter 11 of Roberta Bragg's "Hardening Windows Systems" describes how to use remote access policies.  Continue Reading

• Six steps for deploying Network Access Quarantine Control

  In this excerpt from "Hardening Windows," you'll look at the actual deployment of NAQC on your network. There are six steps, each outlined in separate subsections.  Continue Reading

• How network access quarantine works

  Windows Server 2003's Network Access Quarantine Control feature prevents remote users from connecting to your network with machines that aren't secure. Get a 15-step overview of NAQC in this book excerpt.  Continue Reading

• Access control lists (ACLs)

  This excerpt from Chapter 5 of "The definitive guide to Windows 2000 security" describes the structure of an ACL.  Continue Reading

• AD permissions

  This excerpt from Chapter 5 of "The definitive guide to Windows 2000 security" explains how to set permissions in Active Directory.  Continue Reading

• Security groups

  This excerpt from Chapter 5 of "The definitive guide to Windows 2000 security" explains how groups are enhanced and used in Windows 2000.  Continue Reading

• Permissions vs. privileges

  This excerpt from Chapter 5 of "The definitive guide to Windows 2000 security" describes the basic differences between permissions and privileges.  Continue Reading

• SIDs versus GUIDs

  This excerpt from "The definitive guide to Windows 2000 security" explains the difference between a globally unique identifier (GUID) and a security identifier (SID).  Continue Reading

• Well-known SIDs

  This excerpt from Chapter 5 of "The definitive guide to Windows 2000 security" offers examples of constant SIDs.  Continue Reading

• RIDs and the RID Master role

  This excerpt from Chapter 5 of "The definitive guide to Windows 2000 security" explains how Windows tracks the uniqueness of relative identifiers (RIDs).  Continue Reading

• The structure of a SID

  This excerpt from Chapter 5 of "The definitive guide to Windows 2000 security" describes the fields that make up a SID.  Continue Reading

• Checklist: Performing data backups

  Data backup is perhaps the most important thing you can do to protect your business information. This checklist walks you through the critical steps of a successful backup.  Continue Reading

• VPN design issues for L2TP/IPSec

  This excerpt from e-book "The tips and tricks guide to securing Windows Server 2003" discusses why VPNs are good choices for secure communications.  Continue Reading

• Designing security for a backup and recovery strategy

  Read about the Windows Server 2003 backup utility that helps create backups and enhance data security in this MCSE Exam Cram 2 book excerpt.  Continue Reading

• Designing an appropriate group strategy for accessing resources

  Get an overview of Active Directory groups used to assign permissions in this excerpt from MCSE Exam Cram 2 book "Designing security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 network."  Continue Reading

• Setting auditing policy using local security policy settings

  Get help setting your audit policy to meet network security needs in this excerpt from MCSE Exam Cram 2 book "Designing security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 network."  Continue Reading

• Advanced Kerberos topics: Kerberized applications

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" focuses on the details behind the smart card logon process, Kerberos transport protocol and port usage.  Continue Reading

• Kerberos configuration

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" discusses Kerberos GPO settings, account properties, transport protocols and ports, and time sensitivity.  Continue Reading

• Logging on to Windows using Kerberos: Multiple forest logon process

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" looks in detail at both local and network logon features in a multiple forest scenario.  Continue Reading

• Kerberos interoperability

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" describes how and why Kerberos can be used as an SSO solution between Windows and other platforms.  Continue Reading

• Logging on to Windows using Kerberos: Multiple domain environment

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" looks in detail at both local and network logon features in multiple domain environments.  Continue Reading

• Advanced Kerberos topics: From authentication to authorization

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" focuses on the link between authentication and authorization and the content of Kerberos tickets and authenticators.  Continue Reading

• Advanced Kerberos topics: Delegation of authentication

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" focuses on  Continue Reading

• Logging on to Windows using Kerberos: Single domain environment

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" looks in detail at both local and network logon features in single and and multiple domain environments.  Continue Reading

• Five steps to using the Kerberos protocol

  This excerpt from "Windows Server 2003 security infrastructures" explains the basic Kerberos protocol as it is defined in RFC 1510.  Continue Reading