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How do you allow network access to those who need it without sacrificing security? See how new technologies in Windows Server 2008, such as Windows Firewall with Advanced Security and Network Access Protection, let you implement a policy-based approach to help you achieve this goal. Ian Hameroff and Amith Krishnan 62 Configuring Roles with Server Manager A DNS server need not be a print server. One approach Windows Server 2008 takes to improve security and manageability is to simplify server roles so you can easily install only the tools and services you need, and nothing more. Here's an introduction to using Server Manager for configuring roles and simplifying deployments.

By Ian Hameroff and Amith Krishnan (March 2008)
Security by obscurity involves taking measures that don't remove an attack vector but instead conceal it. Some argue that this is a bad practice while others claim that as part of a larger strategy, every bit counts. The debate is quite heated, and some of our finest security experts face off, explaining security by obscurity and presenting both sides of the debate.

By Jesper M. Johansson and Roger Grimes (June 2008)
Secure Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions let you hide information in transit, validate senders, and authenticate messages. Learn how to secure e-mail using digital certificates and how to troubleshoot problems you may encounter on your S/MIME system.

By Matt Clapham and Blake Hutchinson (June 2008)
A DNS server need not be a print server. One approach Windows Server 2008 takes to improve security and manageability is to simplify server roles so you can easily install only the tools and services you need, and nothing more. Here's an introduction to using Server Manager for configuring roles and simplifying deployments.

By Byron Hynes (March 2008)
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In the first of a series on Windows Deployment Services, Wes Miller lays a foundation for the discussion by looking at the architecture of the Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE), the history of Remote Installation Services (RIS), as well ...
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  It's not often you see the terms pure adrenaline rush and system administration scripting in the same sentence, but here’s your chance. The Scripting Guys discuss the rush of scripting Read more!
WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007 integrate seamlessly with desktop applications in the 2007 Microsoft Office system, allowing users to easily collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, calendars, contact information, and more. That’s great for organizations that use Microsoft Office technology to boost information worker productivity, but it doesn’t help organizations ...
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It's not often that we get to talk about Microsoft Bob in TechNet Magazine.  Yet in the July 2008 installment of Windows Confidential, Raymond Chen explains how Microsoft Bob actually ended up in far more homes and offices than you might imagine.  Find ...
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In the July 2008 installment of the Windows PowerShell column, Don Jones discusses Read more!
Today's IT world demands ever-increasing collaboration between organizations and their partners and vendors. However, the powerful collaboration solutions that are implemented using products such as SharePoint tend to focus heavily on internal teams and the need to make information broadly available throughout an organization. In such cases, the challenges, ...
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June2008 June 2008
Security: The Great Debate: Security by Obscurity
Security by obscurity involves taking measures that don't remove an attack vector but instead conceal it. Some argue that this is a bad practice while others claim that as part of a larger strategy, every bit counts. The debate is quite heated, and some of our finest security experts face off, explaining security by obscurity and presenting both sides of the debate. Jesper M. Johansson and Roger Grimes
Security: New Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista
Michael Murgolo is back with an update to his Elevation PowerToys. You'll find enhanced Run as Administrator functionality that works with third-party scripting tools, a way to replace a handy Windows XP feature removed from Windows Vista, and many more useful tools. Michael Murgolo
Security: Advances in BitLocker Drive Encryption
Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 introduce important changes to BitLocker, including support for data volumes and improved protection against cryptographic attacks. Byron Hynes explores the new features, demonstrates how to use BitLocker on a server, and discusses some of the recent media coverage affecting BitLocker. Byron Hynes
Security: Application Lockdown with Software Restriction Policies
When you want to reduce the total cost of ownership of the desktop machines in your organization, application lockdown can be a great help, letting you limit IT issues related to unsupported applications. See how you can use software restriction policies and Group Policy to control the applications being run throughout your IT infrastructure. Chris Corio and Durga Prasad Sayana
Security: Managing the Windows Vista Firewall
The recent update to the Windows Vista Firewall offers some impressive new features that make it a compelling choice for the corporate environment. Jesper Johansson gives a brief overview of the evolution of the Windows Firewall and delves into enhancements—such as new rules and profiles, domain isolation, and encryption—that will have administrators taking a closer look. Jesper M. Johansson
Security: Secure E-Mail Using Digital Certificates
Secure Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions let you hide information in transit, validate senders, and authenticate messages. Learn how to secure e-mail using digital certificates and how to troubleshoot problems you may encounter on your S/MIME system. Matt Clapham and Blake Hutchinson

Columns
From the Editor: The Great Debate
Joshua Hoffman
Letters: Readers Speak Out
Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros
Greg Steen
Windows Vista: Top Security Features in Windows Vista
Why should you upgrade to Windows Vista? Among many reasons, the new security features make it a must-have. This article explores some of the major security features introduced in Windows Vista. Anthony (A.J.) Smith and Ned Gnichtel
Sustainable Computing: Learning from the Quincy Datacenter
The Microsoft datacenter located in Quincy, WA is powered entirely by hydroelectricity. Dave Ohara takes you on a tour of this facility and shares some best practices from the Microsoft datacenter team for building and operating a sustainable datacenter. Dave Ohara
SQL Q&A: I/O Errors, Database Mirroring, and More
Paul Randal answers your SQL Server questions, showing you how to create corruption in a test database, helping you avoid a shrink-grow-shrink-grow cycle, and explaining how you can determine how many databases you can mirror before performance starts to degrade. Paul S. Randal
Utility Spotlight: Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor
Ready to upgrade the systems in your organization to Windows Vista? Find out how the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine whether your systems are ready for Windows Vista and which versions they can support. Lance Whitney
Inside Sharepoint: Decentralizing Site Administration
Explore the advantages and implications of delegating administrative control over SharePoint sites to individual departments while maintaining centralized administrative control over the SharePoint infrastructure. Pav Cherny
Windows PowerShell: Looking Good
Discover how the object-oriented nature of Windows PowerShell allows you to apply formatting to its output. Don Jones
Hey, Scripting Guy!: Not-So-Hard Work Has Its Rewards, Too
The Scripting Guys ponder hard work, true happiness, and outputting data to the command window in a readable tabular format. The Microsoft Scripting Guys
The Desktop Files: Security vs. Compliance
IT professionals often find themselves with objectives that contradict one another. Take a look at how being compliant often comes at the expense of being less secure. Wes Miller
The Business of IT: 10 Keys to Becoming an Environmental Leader
As IT departments play an increasingly important role in corporate environmental efforts, IT professionals are finding an opportunity to drive change and become thought leaders in their companies and industries. Here's an overview to becoming an effective thought leader for environmental and sustainability initiatives in your organization. Michael Walsh and Eliza Walsh
Field Notes: Sharing a Split Screen
Developed by Microsoft Research India, Split Screen allows two users to share a monitor while running separate instances of the OS on each side. Kentaro Toyama
Windows Confidential: The Two Worst PCs Ever
Raymond Chen fondly reminisces about working with the two worst computers ever made. Raymond Chen
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