Windows Server 2003: Security and Protection

This collection contains information about security technologies in Windows Server 2003.

• Auditing

  Security auditing is one of the most powerful tools to help maintain the security of your system. Auditing should identify attacks, either successful or not, that pose a threat to your network, or attacks against resources that you have determined to be valuable in your risk assessment.

• Authorization and Access Control

  Access control is the process of authorizing users, groups, and computers to access objects on the network by using permissions, user rights, and object auditing.

• Authorization Manager

  Authorization Manager is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that can help provide effective control of access to resources.

• Kerberos Authentication

  Kerberos is an authentication mechanism used to verify the identity of a user or host.

• Logon and Authentication

  Logon and authentication includes passwords, Kerberos, NTLM, Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer (TLS/SSL), and Digest. In addition, some protocols are combined into authentication packages, such as Negotiate and Schannel, as part of an extensible authentication architecture.

• Public Key Infrastructure

  A public key infrastructure (PKI) is a system of digital certificates, certification authorities (CAs), and other registration authorities that verify and authenticate the validity of each party involved in an electronic transaction.

• Security Configuration Wizard

  Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) is an attack-surface reduction tool that guides administrators in creating security policies based on the minimum functionality required for a server's role or roles.

• Security Policy

  Security policy is the configurable set of rules that the operating system follows when determining the permissions to grant in response to a request for access to resources.

• Smart Cards

  Smart cards are used to securely store certificates, public and private keys, passwords, and other types of personal information.

• Secure Windows Server 2008

• Security Tools [LHS Nav page]

• Threats and Countermeasures Guide: Security Settings in Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista

• Using Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 in a Managed Environment: Controlling Communication with the Internet

• Windows Server 2003 Security Compliance Management Toolkit

• Windows Vista: Security and Protection [RTM]

• Internet Explorer 8 Enhanced Security Configuration