Description:
Setting up computers in a multiuser environment (or connecting them to the Internet, the ultimate multiuser environment) carries inherent risks and requires special preparation. Proper protection of Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 machines--considering that those two operating systems are meant to be user-friendly, as well as network-capable--can prove more difficult than the bulletproofing of Unix systems. Windows NT/2000 Network Security ferrets out security holes in Microsoft's network operating systems. Network administrators who are looking for war stories and lots of detailed instructions on the plugging of specific holes should look elsewhere--mainly on the Web and on electronic mailing lists--but this book can provide you with a decent base knowledge of how bad guys are most likely to attack Microsoft networks, and what you can do to head them off. To put it another way, seriously consider this book if you're new to security work. The typical approach to the security characteristics of a Windows feature is to explain what the feature is for and how it's meant to work. Then, the book goes into some of the ways in which evildoers can attack the feature, gain unauthorized access, deny service to legitimate users, and otherwise use the feature as a lever for creating havoc. General warnings are interspersed here and there with specific instructions on how to make recommended configuration changes. Windows NT is emphasized more--the section on Windows 2000 is rather thin. --David Wall Topics covered: How to keep Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 secure in networked environments. Specific areas of coverage include a primer on the various modes of attack, security-minded everyday system administration, security of specific services, protection against viruses, and maintenance of security in a virtual private network.
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