Computer configuration windows settings security settings local policies security options xp

You can configure the Security Options settings in the following location within either the Group Policy Object Editor or the Group Policy Management Console:. This policy setting enables or disables the Administrator account for normal operational conditions. If you start a computer in Safe Mode, the Administrator account is always enabled, regardless of how you configure this policy setting.

The built-in Administrator account cannot be locked out no matter how many failed logons it accrues, which makes it a prime target for brute force attacks that attempt to guess passwords. Also, this account has a well-known security identifier SIDand there are non-Microsoft tools that allow authentication by using the SID rather than the account name. Therefore, even if you rename the Administrator account, an attacker could launch a brute force attack by using the SID to log on.

All other accounts that are members of the Administrator's group have the safeguard of locking out the account if the number of failed logons exceeds its configured maximum.

Administrator account status setting so that the built-in Administrator account cannot be used in a normal system startup. If it is very difficult to maintain a regular schedule for periodic password changes for local accounts, you can disable the built-in Administrator account instead of relying on regular password changes to protect it from attack.

Maintenance issues can arise under certain circumstances if you disable the Administrator account. For example, if the secure channel between a member computer and the domain controller fails in a domain environment for any reason and there is no other local Administrator account, you must restart in Safe Mode to fix the problem that caused the secure channel to fail. If the current Administrator password does not meet the password requirements, you cannot re-enable the Administrator account after it is disabled.

If this situation occurs, another member of the Administrators group must set the password on the Administrator account with the Local Users and Groups tool.

The default Guest account allows unauthenticated network users to log on as Guest with no password. These unauthorized users could access any resources that are accessible to the Guest account over the network. This capability means that any shared folders with permissions that allow access to the Guest account, the Guests group, or the Everyone group are accessible over the network, which could lead to the exposure or corruption of data.

Guest account status setting so that the built-in Guest account cannot be used. All network users must be authenticated before they can access shared resources. If you disable the Guest account and the Network Access: Sharing and Security Model option is set to Guest Onlynetwork logons, such as those performed by the Microsoft Network Server SMB Servicefail. This policy setting enables or disables remote interactive logons by network services such as Terminal Services, Telnet, and File Transfer Protocol FTP for local accounts that have blank passwords.

If you enable this policy setting, a local account must have a non-blank password to perform an interactive or network logon from a remote client. Blank passwords are a serious threat to computer security and should be forbidden through both organizational policy and suitable technical measures. However, if users with the ability to create new accounts bypass your domain-based password policies, they could create accounts with blank passwords.

For example, a user could build a stand-alone computer, create one or more accounts with blank passwords, and then join the computer to the domain. The local accounts with blank passwords would still function. Anyone who knows the name of one of these unprotected accounts could then use it to log on. Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only setting.

This policy setting determines whether a different account name is associated with the SID for the Administrator account. If you rename this account, it is slightly more difficult for unauthorized persons to guess this privileged user name and password combination. The built-in Administrator account cannot be locked out, regardless of how many times an attacker might use a bad password. This capability makes the Administrator account a popular target for brute force attacks that attempt to guess passwords.

The value of this countermeasure is lessened because this account has a well-known SID, and there are non-Microsoft tools that allow authentication by using the SID rather than the account name. Specify a new name in the Accounts: Rename administrator account setting to rename the Administrator account. You must provide users who are authorized to use this account with the new account name.

The guidance for this setting assumes that the Administrator account was not disabled. This policy setting determines the account name is associated with the SID for the Guest account. Because the account name is well known, it provides a vector for a malicious user to get access to network resources and attempt to elevate privileges or install software that could be used for a later attack on your system. Rename guest account setting to rename the Guest account.

If you also enable the Audit object access audit setting, access to these system objects is audited. Global system objects, also known as "base system objects" or "base named objects," are temporary kernel objects that have had names assigned to them by the application or system component that created them. These objects are most commonly used to synchronize multiple applications or multiple parts of a complex application.

Because they have names, these objects are global in scope and, therefore, visible to all processes on the computer. These objects all have a security descriptor but typically have a NULL SACL.

If you enable this policy setting at startup time, the kernel assigns a SACL to these objects when they are created. A globally visible named object, if incorrectly secured, could be acted upon by malicious software using the name of the object. For instance, if a synchronization object such as a mutex had a poorly chosen discretionary access control list DACLmalicious software could access that mutex by name and cause the program that created it to malfunction.

However, the risk of such an occurrence is very low. If you enable the Audit: Audit the access of global system objects setting, a large number of security events could be generated, especially on busy domain controllers and application servers. Such an occurrence could cause servers to respond slowly and force the Security log to record numerous events of little significance.

This policy setting can only be enabled or disabled, and there is no way to choose which events are recorded. Even organizations that have the resources to analyze events that are generated by this policy setting are not likely to have the source code or a description of what each named object is used for. Therefore, it is unlikely that most organizations would benefit by enabling this policy setting.

This policy setting enables or disables auditing of the use of all user privileges, including Backup and Restore, when the Audit privilege use setting is in effect. If you enable both policy settings, an audit event is generated for every file that is backed up or restored.

If you enable this policy setting in conjunction with the Audit privilege use setting, any exercise of user rights is recorded in the Security log. If you disable this policy setting, actions by users of Backup or Restore privileges are not audited, even if Audit privilege use is enabled.

When the backup and restore function is used, it creates a copy of the file system that is identical to the target of the backup.

Making regular backups and restore volumes is an important part of your incident response plan. However, a malicious user could use a legitimate backup copy to gain access to information or to impersonate a legitimate network resource to compromise your enterprise.

Audit the use of Backup and Restore privilege setting. Alternatively, implement automatic log backup by configuring the AutoBackupLogFiles registry key.

If you enable this option when the Audit privilege use setting is also enabled, an audit event is generated for every file that is backed up or restored. This information could help you to identify an account that was used to accidentally or maliciously restore data in an unauthorized manner.

For more information about configuring this key, see article"The event log stops logging events before reaching the maximum log size", in the Microsoft Knowledge Base http: If you enable this policy setting, a large number of security events could be generated, which could cause servers to respond slowly and force the Security event log to record numerous events of little significance. If you increase the Security log size to reduce the chances of a system shutdown, an excessively large log file may affect system performance.

Setting audit policy at the category level overrides the new subcategory audit policy feature. The registry value SCENoApplyLegacyAuditPolicyallows audit policy to be managed by using subcategories without requiring a change to Group Policy. This registry value can be set to prevent the application of category-level audit policy from Group Policy and from the Local Security Policy administrative tool.

The following table lists these subcategories:. Reports changes in security state of the system, such as when the security subsystem starts and stops.

Reports the results of Internet Key Exchange IKE protocol and Authenticated Internet Protocol AuthIP during Main Mode negotiations. Reports when a special logon is used. A special logon is a logon that has administrator-equivalent privileges and can be used to elevate a process to a higher level. Reports events generated by RADIUS and Network Access Protection NAP user access requests. These requests can be Grant, Deny, Discard, Quarantine, Lock, and Unlock.

Auditing this setting results in a medium or high volume of records Network Policy Servers. Reports when file system objects are accessed. Only file system objects with SACLs cause audit records to be generated, and only when they are accessed in a manner matching their SACL.

Reports when registry objects are accessed. Only registry objects with SACLs cause audit records to be generated, and only when they are accessed in a manner matching their SACL. Reports when kernel objects such as processes and mutexes are accessed. Only kernel objects with SACLs cause audit records to be generated, and only when they are accessed in a manner matching their SACL. Typically kernel objects are only given SACLs if the AuditBaseObjects or AuditBaseDirectories auditing options are enabled.

Reports when applications attempt to generate audit events by using the Windows auditing application programming interfaces APIs. Reports when a handle to an object is opened or closed. Only objects with SACLs cause these events to be generated and only if the attempted handle operation matches the SACL. Handle Manipulation events are only generated for object types where the corresponding Object Access subcategory is enabled; for example, File System or Registry.

Reports when packets are dropped by Windows Filtering Platform WFP. These are high-volume events so log file size should be monitored closely when auditing these events.

Reports when connections are allowed or blocked by Windows Filtering Platform WFP. Reports encrypted or decrypted calls into the data protections application programming interface DPAPI. DPAPI protects secret information such as stored password and key information. Reports changes in policy rules used by the Microsoft Protection Service MPSSVC.

This service is used by Windows Firewall. Reports the addition and removal of objects from Windows Filtering Platform WFPincluding startup filters.

Reports other types of security policy changes, such as configuration of the Trusted Platform Module TPM or cryptographic providers. Reports each event of user account management, such as when a user account is created, changed, deleted, renamed, disabled, or enabled, or when a password is set or changed.

Reports each event of computer account management, such as when a computer account is created, changed, deleted, renamed, disabled, or enabled. Reports each event of security group management, such as when a security group is created, changed, or deleted, or when a member is added to or removed from a security group. Reports each event of distribution group management, such as when a distribution group is created, changed, or deleted, or when a member is added to or removed from a distribution group.

Windows Server Group Policy? - Windows XP - Tom's Hardware

Reports each event of application group management on a computer, such as when an application group is created, changed, or deleted, or when a member is added to or removed from an application group.

DS Change auditing, where appropriate, indicates the old and new values of the changed properties of the objects that were changed. Only objects with SACLs cause an audit to be generated, and only when they are accessed in a manner that matches their SACL. Some objects and properties do not cause an audit to be generated due to settings on the object class in the schema. Reports details about the information replicating between domain controllers.

Reports when an AD DS object is accessed. Only objects with SACLs cause audit events to be generated, and only when they are accessed in a manner that matches their SACL. Reports the results of validation tests on Kerberos tickets submitted for a user account logon request.

Reports the events that occur in response to credentials submitted for a user account logon request. These events do not relate to credential validation or Kerberos tickets, as those events have separate sub-categories that can be audited. Reports the results of validation tests on credentials submitted for a user account logon request. Reports when a user account or service uses a sensitive privilege. A sensitive privilege includes the following user rights:.

Auditing this subcategory creates a high volume of events, so log file size should be monitored closely when auditing these events. Reports when a user account or service uses a nonsensitive privilege. The following list identifies the user rights that are considered nonsensitive privileges.

The larger event categories created too many events, and the key information that needed to be audited was difficult to find. If you attempt to modify an auditing setting by using Group Policy after enabling this setting, the Group Policy auditing setting is ignored in favor of the custom policy setting. To modify auditing settings by using Group Policy, you must first disable the SCENoApplyLegacyAuditPolicy key.

This policy setting enables or disables shutting down the computer if it is unable to log security events. The Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria TCSEC -C2 and Common Criteria certifications require that the computer prevent the occurrence of auditable events if the audit system is unable to log them. The way that Windows meets this requirement is to halt the computer and display a stop message if the audit system fails.

If you enable this policy setting, the computer stops if a security audit cannot be logged for any reason. Typically, an event fails to be logged when the Security log is full, and its specified retention method is either Do Not Overwrite Events or Overwrite Events by Days. When this policy setting is enabled, the following Stop message displays if the security log is full and an existing entry cannot be overwritten:.

To recover, an administrator must log on, archive the log optionalclear the log, and disable this option to allow the computer to be restarted. At that point, it may be necessary to manually clear the Security log before you can configure this policy setting to Enabled. If the computer is unable to record events to the Security log, critical evidence or important troubleshooting information may not be available for review after a security incident.

Also, an attacker could potentially generate a large volume of Security log events to purposely force a computer shutdown.

Microsoft Windows XP - Edit local security settings

Shut down system immediately if unable to log security audits setting to ensure that security auditing information is captured for review. If you enable this policy setting, the administrative burden can be significant, especially if you also configure the Retention method for the Security log to Do not overwrite events clear log manually. This configuration causes a repudiation threat a backup operator could deny that they backed up or restored data to become a denial of service DoS vulnerability because a server could be forced to shut down if it is overwhelmed with logon events and other security events that are written to the Security log.

Also, because the shutdown is abrupt, it is possible that irreparable damage to the operating system, applications, or data could result. Although the NTFS file system maintains its integrity when this type of computer shutdown occurs, there is no guarantee that every data file for every application will still be in a usable form when the computer restarts. This policy setting allows administrators to define additional computer-wide access controls that govern access to all Distributed Component Object Model DCOM —based applications on a computer.

These controls restrict call, activation, or launch requests on the computer. A simple way to think about these access controls is as an additional access check call that is done against a computer-wide access control list ACL on each call, activation, or launch of any COM server on the computer.

If the access check fails, the call, activation, or launch request is denied. This check is in addition to any access check that is run against the server-specific ACLs. In effect, it provides a minimum authorization standard that must be passed in order to access any COM server on the computer. This policy setting controls access permissions to cover call rights.

These computer-wide ACLs provide a way to override weak security settings that are specified by a specific application through the CoInitializeSecurity function or application-specific security settings.

They provide a minimum security standard that must be passed, regardless of the settings of the specific server. These ACLs also provide a centralized location for an administrator to set general authorization policy that applies to all COM servers on the computer.

This policy setting allows you to specify an ACL in two different ways. You can type in the security descriptor in SDDL, or you can choose users and groups and grant or deny them Local Access and Remote Access permissions. We recommend that you use the built-in user interface to specify the ACL contents that you want to apply with this setting. The default ACL settings vary, depending on the version of Windows you are running. To learn more about ACLs, see the following resources:.

Many COM applications include some security-specific code for example, to call CoInitializeSecurity but use weak settings that often allow unauthenticated access to the process. Administrators cannot override these settings to force stronger security in earlier versions of Windows without modifying the application.

An attacker could attempt to exploit weak security in an individual application by attacking it through COM calls.

Also, COM infrastructure includes the Remote Procedure Call System Service RPCSSa system service that runs during and after computer startup. This service manages activation of COM objects and the running object table and provides helper services to DCOM remoting.

It exposes RPC interfaces that can be called remotely. Because some COM servers allow unauthenticated remote access, these interfaces can be called by anyone, including unauthenticated users. As a result, RPCSS can be attacked by malicious users who use remote, unauthenticated computers. To protect individual COM-based applications or services, set the DCOM: Machine Access Restrictions in Security Descriptor Definition Language SDDL syntax setting to an appropriate computer-wide ACL.

Windows operating systems implement default COM ACLs when they are installed. Modifying these ACLs from the default may cause some applications or components that communicate by using DCOM to fail. If you implement a COM server and you override the default security settings, confirm that the application-specific call permissions that ACL assigns correct permissions to appropriate users.

If it does not, you must change your application-specific permission ACL to provide appropriate users with activation rights so that applications and Windows components that use DCOM do not fail. This policy setting is similar to the DCOM: Machine Access Restrictions in Security Descriptor Definition Language SDDL syntax setting in that it allows administrators to define additional computer-wide access controls that govern access to all DCOM—based applications on a computer.

However, the ACLs that are specified in this policy setting control local and remote COM launch requests not access requests on the computer. A simple way to think about this access control is as an additional access check call that is done against a computer-wide ACL on each launch of any COM server on the computer.

In effect, it provides a minimum authorization standard that must be passed in order to launch any COM server on the computer. Machine Access Restrictions in Security Descriptor Definition Language SDDL syntax policy differs in that it provides a minimum access check that is applied to attempts to access an already launched COM server. These computer-wide ACLs provide a way to override weak security settings that are specified by a specific application through CoInitializeSecurity or application-specific security settings.

They provide a minimum security standard that must be passed, regardless of the settings of the specific COM server. These ACLs provide a centralized location for an administrator to set general authorization policy that applies to all COM servers on the computer. Machine Launch Restrictions in the Security Descriptor Definition Language SDDL syntax setting allows you to specify an ACL in two different ways. You can type the security descriptor in SDDL, or you can choose users and groups and grant or deny them Local Access and Remote Access permissions.

Also, COM infrastructure includes the RPCSS, a system service that runs during computer startup and always runs after that. Because some COM servers allow unauthenticated remote component activation, these interfaces can be called by anyone, including unauthenticated users. As a result, RPCSS can be attacked by malicious users using remote, unauthenticated computers.

To protect individual COM-based applications or services, set this policy setting to an appropriate computer-wide ACL. If you implement a COM server and you override the default security settings, confirm that the application-specific launch permissions ACL assigns activation permission to appropriate users. If it does not, you must change your application-specific launch permission ACL to provide appropriate users with activation rights so that applications and Windows components that use DCOM do not fail.

This policy setting enables or disables the ability of a user to remove a portable computer from a docking station without logging on. If you enable this policy setting, users can press a docked portable computer's physical eject button to safely undock the computer. If you disable this policy setting, the user must log on to receive permission to undock the computer. Only users who have the Remove Computer from Docking Station privilege can obtain this permission.

If this policy setting is enabled, anyone with physical access to portable computers in docking stations could remove them and possibly tamper with them. Users who have docked their computers must log on to the local console before they can undock their computers.

For computers that do not have docking stations, this policy setting has no impact. Users could move data on removable disks to a different computer where they have administrative privileges. The user could then take ownership of any file, grant themselves full control, and view or modify any file. The fact that most removable storage devices eject media when a mechanical button is pressed diminishes the advantage of this policy setting. Allowed to format and eject removable media setting to Administrators.

Only administrators can format and eject removable media. If users are in the habit of using removable media for file transfers and storage, they must be informed of the change in policy. This policy setting determines who is allowed to install a printer driver when adding a network printer. For a computer to print to a network printer, that network printer driver must be installed on the local computer.

If you enable this policy setting, only members of the Administrators and Power Users groups are allowed to install a printer driver when they add a network printer. If you disable this policy setting, all users can install printer drivers when they add a network printer. This policy setting prevents typical users from downloading and installing untrusted printer drivers.

It may be appropriate in some organizations to allow users to install printer drivers on their own workstations. However, you should allow only administrators, not users, to do so on servers because printer driver installation on a server may unintentionally cause the computer to become less stable.

A malicious user could install inappropriate printer drivers in a deliberate attempt to damage the computer, or a user might accidentally install malicious software that masquerades as a printer driver. Only users with Administrative, Power User, or Server Operator privileges can install printers on the servers.

If this policy setting is enabled but the driver for a network printer already exists on the local computer, users can still add the network printer. This policy setting determines whether a CD is accessible to both local and remote users simultaneously. If you enable this policy setting, only the interactively logged-on user is allowed to access removable CDs.

If this policy setting is enabled and no one is logged on interactively, the CD can be accessed over the network. A remote user could potentially access a mounted CD that contains sensitive information. This risk is small because CD drives are not automatically made available as shared drives; administrators must deliberately choose to share the drive.

However, administrators can deny network users the ability to view data or run applications from removable media on the server. Restrict CD-ROM drive access to locally logged-on user only setting. Users who connect to the server over the network cannot use any CD drives that are installed on the server whenever anyone is logged on to the local console of the server.

System tools that require access to the CD drive will fail. For example, the Volume Shadow Copy service attempts to access all CD and floppy disk drives that are present on the computer when it initializes, and if the service cannot access one of these drives, it fails. This condition causes the Windows Backup tool to fail if volume shadow copies were specified for the backup job. Any non-Microsoft backup products that use volume shadow copies also fail. This policy setting would not be suitable for a computer that serves as a CD jukebox for network users.

This policy setting determines whether removable floppy disks are accessible to both local and remote users simultaneously. If you enable this policy setting, only the interactively logged-on user is allowed to access removable floppy disks. If this policy setting is enabled and no one is logged on interactively, a floppy disk can be accessed over the network.

A remote user could potentially access a mounted floppy that contains sensitive information. This risk is small because floppy disk drives are not automatically shared; administrators must deliberately choose to share the drive. Restrict floppy access to locally logged-on user only setting. Users who connect to the server over the network cannot use any floppy disk drives that are installed on the server whenever anyone is logged on to the local console of the server.

System tools that require access to floppy disk drives fail. For example, the Volume Shadow Copy service attempts to access all CD-ROM and floppy disk drives present on the computer when it initializes, and if the service cannot access one of these drives, it fails.

This policy setting determines whether server operators are allowed to submit jobs by means of the AT command. If you enable this policy setting, jobs that are created by server operators by means of the AT command run in the context of the account that runs the task scheduler service. By default, that is the local SYSTEM account. If you enable this policy setting, server operators could perform tasks that SYSTEM can do but that they typically cannot do, such as add their account to the local Administrators group.

Tasks that run under the context of the local SYSTEM account can affect resources that are at a higher privilege level than the user account that scheduled the task.

Disable the Domain controller: Allow server operators to schedule tasks setting. The impact should be small for most organizations. Users including those in the Server Operators group can still b create jobs by means of the Task Scheduler snap-in. However, those jobs run in the context of the account that the user authenticates with when setting up the job. This policy setting determines whether the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol LDAP server requires LDAP clients to negotiate data signing.

Unsigned network traffic is susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks. In such attacks, an intruder captures packets between the server and the client, modifies them, and then forwards them to the client.

Where LDAP servers are concerned, an attacker could cause a client to make decisions that are based on false records from the LDAP directory. To lower the risk of such an intrusion in an organization's network, you can implement strong physical security measures to protect the network infrastructure. You could also implement Internet Protocol security IPsec authentication header mode AHwhich performs mutual authentication and packet integrity for IP traffic to make all types of man-in-the-middle attacks extremely difficult.

Configure the Domain controller: LDAP server signing requirements setting to Require signature. This policy setting enables or disables the blocking of a domain controller from accepting password change requests for computer accounts. If you enable this policy setting on all domain controllers in a domain, domain members cannot change their computer account passwords, and those passwords are more susceptible to attack.

The following policy settings determine whether a secure channel can be established with a domain controller that cannot sign or encrypt secure channel traffic:. If you enable the Domain member: Digitally encrypt or sign secure channel data always setting, a secure channel cannot be established with any domain controller that cannot sign or encrypt all secure channel data. To protect authentication traffic from man-in-the-middle, replay, and other types of network attacks, Windows—based computers create a communication channel through NetLogon called "secure channels.

This authentication is called "pass-through authentication," and it allows a computer that has joined a domain to have access to the user account database in its domain and in any trusted domains. Digitally encrypt or sign secure channel data always settingthe Domain member: Digitally sign secure channel data when possible setting is automatically enabled. When a computer joins a domain, a computer account is created.

After it joins the domain, the computer uses the password for that account to create a secure channel with the domain controller for its domain every time that it restarts. Requests that are sent on the secure channel are authenticated—and sensitive information such as passwords are encrypted—but the channel is not integrity-checked, and not all information is encrypted.

If a computer is configured to always encrypt or sign secure channel data but the domain controller cannot sign or encrypt any portion of the secure channel data, the computer and domain controller cannot establish a secure channel. If the computer is configured to encrypt or sign secure channel data when possible, a secure channel can 60 second binary options bollinger bands established, but the level of encryption and signing is negotiated.

Select one of the following settings as appropriate for your environment to configure the computers in your domain work from home jobs memphis encrypt or sign secure channel data when possible.

Using both digital encryption and signing of the secure channel is a good idea where it is supported. The secure channel protects domain credentials as they are sent to the domain controller. Therefore, you cannot enable the Domain member: Potential impacts can include the following:. You can enable the other two policy settings, Domain member: Digitally encrypt secure channel data when possible and Domain member: Applications that run on these versions of Windows are not affected.

This policy setting enables or disables the blocking of the periodic changing of computer account passwords. If you enable this policy setting, the domain member cannot change its computer account password. If you disable this policy setting, the domain member is allowed to change its computer account password as specified by the Domain Member: Maximum age for computer account password setting, which is every 30 days by default. This policy setting was added jquery select change index Windows to make it easier for organizations that stockpile prebuilt computers that are put into production months later.

It eliminates the need for those computers to rejoin the domain. This policy setting is also sometimes used with imaged computers or those with hardware or software level change prevention. Correct imaging procedures make the use of this policy unnecessary for imaged computers. Computers that cannot automatically change their account password are at risk from an attacker who could determine the password for the computer's domain account.

Verify that the Domain member: Disable machine account password changes setting is configured to Disabled. In Active Directory—based domains, each computer has an account and absa forex telephone number just as every user does.

By default, the domain members automatically change their domain password every 30 days. If you increase this interval significantly, or set it to 0 so that the computers no longer change their passwords, modeling china stock markets and international linkages attacker has more time to undertake a brute force attack to guess the password of one or more computer accounts.

Configure the Domain member: Maximum machine account password age setting to 30 days. This policy setting determines whether a secure channel can be established with a domain controller that cannot encrypt secure channel traffic with a strong, bit session key. If you enable this policy setting, you can establish a secure channel how much money does a qvc host earn with a domain controller that can encrypt secure channel data with a strong key.

If you disable this policy setting, bit session keys are allowed. Whenever possible, you should take advantage of these stronger session keys to help protect secure channel communications from attacks that attempt to hijack network sessions and eavesdrop. Eavesdropping is a form of hacking in which network data is read or altered in transit.

The data can be modified to hide or change the sender, or be redirected. Enable the Domain member: If you disable this policy setting, the key strength is negotiated. You should enable this policy setting only if the domain controllers in all trusted domains support strong keys. By default, forex ndd execution policy setting is disabled. Also, computers that do not support this policy setting cannot join domains in which the domain controllers have this policy setting enabled.

This policy setting determines whether the account name of the last user to log on to the client computers in your organization will be displayed in each computer's respective Windows logon screen. Enable this policy setting to prevent intruders from collecting account names visually from the screens of desktop or laptop computers in your organization. An attacker with access to the console for example, someone with physical access or someone who can connect to the server through Terminal Services could view the name of the last user who logged on to the server.

The attacker could then try to guess the password, use a dictionary, or use a brute force attack to nippising stock market chalenge to log on. When this policy setting is enabled, users are not required to west lakes australia day trading hours this key combination to log on to the network.

However, this configuration poses a security risk because it provides an opportunity for users to log on with weaker logon credentials. This setting makes it easier for users with certain types of physical impairments to log on to computers forex trader signals run Windows. If this setting is enabled, an attacker could install a Trojan horse program that looks like the standard Windows logon dialog box and capture the user's password.

The attacker would then be able to log on to the compromised account with whatever level of privilege that user has. Unless they use a smart card to log on, users must simultaneously press the three keys before the logon dialog box displays. The first policy setting specifies a text message that displays to users factors influencing the stock market they log on, and the second policy setting specifies a title for the title bar of the text message window.

Many organizations use this text for legal purposes; for example, to warn users about the ramifications of misuse of company information, or to warn them that their actions may be audited. Users often do not understand the importance of security practices. However, the display of a warning message before logon may help prevent an attack by warning malicious or uninformed users about the consequences of their misconduct before it happens. It may savage arms model 11 stock help merrill lynch stock broker salary reinforce corporate policy by notifying employees of the appropriate policy during the logon process.

Configure the Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to log on and Interactive logon: Message title for users attempting to log on settings to an appropriate value for your organization.

This policy setting determines the number of individual users who can log on to a Windows domain by using cached account information. Logon information for domain accounts can be cached locally so that if a domain controller cannot be contacted on subsequent logons, a user work from home data entry jobs nsw still log on.

This policy setting determines the number of individual users whose logon information is cached locally. If a domain controller is unavailable and a user's logon information is cached, the user is prompted with the following message:.

A domain controller for your domain could not be contacted. You have been logged on using cached account information. Changes to your profile since you last logged on may not be available. If a domain controller is unavailable and a user's logon information is not cached, the user is prompted with this message:.

The number that is assigned to this policy setting indicates the number of users whose logon information that the servers cache locally. If the number is set to 10, the server caches logon information for 10 users. When an eleventh user logs on to the computer, the server overwrites the oldest cached logon session. Users who access the server console have their logon credentials cached on that server.

An attacker who is able to access the file system of the server could locate this cached information and use a brute force attack to attempt to determine user passwords. To mitigate this type of attack, Windows encrypts the information and obscures its physical location. Number of previous logons to cache in case domain controller is not available setting to 0, which disables the local caching of logon information.

Additional countermeasures include enforcement of strong password policies and physically secure locations for the computers. Users cannot log on to any computers if there is no domain controller available to authenticate them.

Organizations can configure this value to 2 for end-user computers, especially for mobile users. A configuration value of 2 means that the user's logon information is still in the cache, even if a member of the IT department has recently logged on to the computer to perform system maintenance. This method allows users to log on to their computers when they are not connected to the organization's network.

This policy setting determines how many days in advance that users are warned that their password is about mechanical stock green room trading review systems expire. With this advance warning, the user has time to construct a sufficiently strong password. If user passwords are configured to expire periodically in your organization, users need to be www neopets com stock market phtml when this is about to happen, or they may be locked out of the computer inadvertently when their passwords expire.

This condition could lead to confusion for users who access the network locally, or make it impossible for users to access your organization's network through dial-up or virtual private network VPN connections. Prompt user to change password before expiration setting to 14 days. Users see a dialog-box prompt to change their password each time that they log on to the domain when their password is configured to expire in 14 or fewer days.

This policy setting enables or disables the requirement for a domain account to contact a domain controller to unlock a computer. Logon information is required to unlock a locked computer. If you enable this setting, a domain controller must authenticate the domain account that is being used to unlock the computer. If you disable this setting, logon-information confirmation with a domain controller is not required for a user to unlock the computer.

However, if you configured the Interactive logon: Number of previous logons to cache in case domain controller is not available setting to a value that is greater than zero, the user's cached credentials are used to unlock the computer. By default, the computer caches in memory the credentials of any users who are authenticated locally.

The computer uses these cached credentials to authenticate anyone who attempts to unlock the console. When cached credentials are used, any changes that have recently been made to the account—such as user rights assignments, account lockout, or the account being disabled—are not considered or applied after the account is authenticated.

User privileges are not updated, and more important disabled accounts are still able to unlock the console of the computer. Require Domain Controller authentication to unlock workstation setting to Enabled and configure the Interactive logon: Number of previous logons to cache in case domain controller is not available setting to 0. When the console on a computer is locked, either by a user or automatically by a screen-saver timeout, the console can be unlocked only if the user can re-authenticate to the domain controller.

If no domain controller is available, users cannot unlock their workstations. If you configure the Interactive logon: Number of previous logons to cache in case domain controller is not available setting to 0, users whose domain controllers are unavailable such as mobile or remote users cannot log on.

This policy setting enables or disables the requirement for users to log on to a computer with a smart card. The use of smart cards instead of passwords for authentication dramatically increases security because current technology makes it extremely difficult for an attacker to impersonate another user. Smart cards that require personal identification numbers PINs provide two-factor authentication: Attackers who capture the authentication traffic between the user's computer and the domain controller find it extremely difficult to decrypt the traffic and, even if they do, the next time that the user logs on to the network a new session key is generated to encrypt traffic between the user and the domain controller.

It can be difficult to make users choose strong passwords, and even strong passwords are vulnerable to brute force attacks if an attacker has sufficient time and computing resources.

For users with access to computers that contain sensitive data, issue smart cards to users and configure the Interactive logon: Require smart card setting to Enabled.

All users of a computer with this setting enabled must use smart cards to log on to the local computer, which means that the organization must have a reliable public key infrastructure PKI as well as smart cards and smart card readers for these users. These requirements are significant challenges because expertise and resources are required to plan for and deploy these technologies.

This policy setting determines what happens when the smart card for a logged-on user is removed from the smart card reader. Users sometimes forget to lock their workstations when they are away from them, allowing activtrades spread forex possibility for malicious users to access their computers.

If smart cards are used for authentication, the computer should automatically lock itself when the card is removed to ensure that only the user with the smart card is accessing resources using those credentials. Smart card removal behavior setting to Lock Workstation. If you select Lock Workstation for this policy setting, the workstation locks when the smart card is removed.

Users can leave the area, take their smart card with them, and still maintain a protected session. This behavior is similar to the setting that requires users to log on when resuming work on the computer after the screen saver has started. If you select Force Logoff for this policy setting, the user is automatically logged off when the smart card is removed. This setting is useful when a computer is deployed as a public access point, such as a kiosk or other type of shared computer.

If you select Force Logoffusers must reinsert their smart cards and reenter their PINs when they return to their workstations. There are four separate policy settings that relate to packet-signing requirements for Server Message Block SMB communications:. Implementation of digital signatures in high-security networks helps to prevent the impersonation of clients and servers, known as "session hijacking.

Session hijacking uses tools that allow attackers who have access to the same network as the client or server to interrupt, end, or steal a session in progress. Attackers can potentially intercept and modify unsigned Server Message Block SMB packets and then modify the traffic and forward it so that the server might perform objectionable actions. Alternatively, the attacker could pose as the server or client after legitimate authentication and gain unauthorized access to data.

SMB is the resource-sharing protocol that is supported by many Windows operating systems. It is the basis of NetBIOS and many other protocols. SMB signatures authenticate both users and the servers that host the data. If either side fails the authentication process, data transmission does not take place.

In highly secure environments we recommend that you configure all of these settings to Enabled. However, that configuration may cause slower performance on client computers and prevent communications with earlier SMB applications and operating systems.

SMB signing provides this authentication by placing a digital signature into each SMB, which is then verified by both the client and the server. Implementation of SMB signing may negatively affect performance because each packet must be signed and verified. If research paper on devaluation of indian currency settings are enabled on a server that is performing multiple roles, such as a small business server that is serving as a domain controller, file server, print server, and application server, performance may be substantially slowed.

Additionally, if you configure computers to ignore all unsigned SMB communications, older applications and operating systems cannot connect. However, if you completely disable all SMB signing, computers are vulnerable to session-hijacking attacks. This policy setting enables or disables the sending of plaintext passwords by the SMB redirector to non-Microsoft SMB servers that do not support password encryption during authentication.

If you enable this policy setting, the server can transmit plaintext passwords across the network to other computers that offer SMB services. Disable the Microsoft network client: Send unencrypted password to connect to third-party SMB servers setting. Some very old applications and operating systems such as MS-DOS, Windows for Workgroups 3.

This stellar trading systems singapore setting determines the amount of continuous idle time that must pass in an SMB session before the session is suspended because of inactivity. Administrators can use this policy setting to control when a computer suspends an inactive SMB session. The session automatically reestablishes when client activity resumes.

A value of 0 disconnects an idle session as quickly as possible. The maximum value iswhich is days; in effect, this value disables the setting. By default this policy is not defined, which means that the system allows 15 minutes of idle time for servers and an undefined time for workstations.

Each SMB session consumes server resources, and numerous null sessions slow the server or make money recycling precious metals cause it to fail. An attacker could repeatedly establish SMB sessions until the server's SMB services become slow or unresponsive. There is little impact because SMB sessions are reestablished automatically if the client resumes activity.

This policy setting enables or disables the forced disconnection of users who are connected to the local computer outside their user account's valid logon hours.

It affects the SMB component. If you enable this policy setting, client sessions with the SMB service are forcibly disconnected when the client's logon hours expire. If you disable this policy setting, established client sessions are maintained after the client's logon hours expire. If you enable this policy setting, you should also enable Network security: Force logoff when logon hours expire. If your organization online stock trading company forex rate currency e21 logon hours for users, it makes sense to enable this policy setting.

Otherwise, users who should not have access to network resources outside of their logon hours may actually continue to use those resources with sessions that were established during allowed hours. Enable the Microsoft network server: Disconnect clients when logon hours expire setting. If logon hours are not used in your organization, this policy setting has no impact. If logon hours are used, existing user sessions are forcibly terminated when their logon hours expire. This policy setting enables or disables the ability of an anonymous user to request SID attributes for another user.

By default, this setting is enabled on domain controllers and is disabled on workstations and member servers. If this policy setting is enabled, a user with local access could use the well-known Administrator's SID to learn the real name of the built-in Administrator account, even if it has been renamed. That person could then use the account name to initiate a password-guessing attack. Disabled is the default configuration for this policy setting on member computers; therefore, it has no impact on them.

The default configuration for domain controllers is Enabled. For example, the following computers may not work:. This policy setting determines what additional permissions are granted for anonymous connections to the computer. Windows allows anonymous users to perform certain activities, such as querying the Security Account Manager SAM database store of user accounts and security descriptors for users on the local computer and enumerating the results.

This capability is convenient, for example, when an administrator wants to grant access to users in a trusted domain that does not maintain a reciprocal trust. However, even if this setting is enabled, anonymous users still have access to any resources that have permissions that explicitly include the special built-in group ANONYMOUS LOGON.

Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and Network access: An unauthorized user could anonymously list account names and use the information to perform social engineering attacks or attempt to guess passwords.

Social engineering attackers try to deceive users in some way to obtain passwords or some form of security information. Enable the Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts setting. This policy setting determines whether anonymous enumeration of Security Accounts Manager SAM accounts and shared folders is allowed. You can enable this policy setting if you do not want to allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and chicago board of trade soybeans futures folders.

However, even if it is enabled, anonymous users still have access to any resources that have permissions that explicitly include the special built-in group ANONYMOUS LOGON.

An unauthorized user could anonymously list account names and shared resources and use the information to attempt to guess passwords or perform social-engineering attacks. Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and shares setting. It is impossible to grant access to users of another domain across a one-way trust because administrators in the trusting domain are unable to enumerate lists of accounts in the other domain.

Users who access file and print servers anonymously are unable to list the shared network computer configuration windows settings security settings local policies security options xp on those servers; the users must be authenticated before they can view the lists of shared folders and printers. This policy setting determines whether the Stored User Names and Passwords feature may save passwords or credentials for later use when it gains domain authentication. If you enable this policy setting, the Stored User Names and Passwords feature of Windows does not store passwords and credentials.

Passwords that are cached can be accessed by the user when logged on to the computer. Although this information may sound obvious, a problem can arise if the user unknowingly runs malicious software that reads the passwords and forwards them to another, unauthorized user. Do not allow storage of passwords and credentials download video binary options bully pdf network authentication setting.

Users are forced to type passwords whenever they log on to their Windows Live ID or other network resources that are not accessible to their domain account. This policy setting should have no impact on users who access network resources that are configured to allow access with their Active Directory—based domain account. If you enable this policy setting, anonymous users can enumerate the names of domain accounts and shared folders and perform certain other activities.

By default, the token that is created for anonymous connections does not include the Everyone SID. Therefore, permissions that are assigned to the Everyone group do not apply to anonymous users. If you enable this policy setting, the Everyone SID is added to the token that is created for anonymous connections, and anonymous users can access any resource for which the Everyone group has been assigned permissions.

An unauthorized user could anonymously list account names and shared resources and use the information to attempt to guess passwords, perform social engineering attacks, or launch DoS attacks. Disable the Network access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users setting. This policy setting investment options for tax saving in india which communication sessions, or pipes, have attributes and permissions that allow anonymous access.

For this policy setting to take effect, you must also enable the Network access: Restrict anonymous access to named pipes and shares setting. You can restrict access over named pipes such as COMNAP and LOCATOR to help prevent unauthorized access to the network.

The following list describes rifle stocks for ruger #1 named pipes and their purpose.

These pipes were granted anonymous access in earlier versions of Windows and some legacy applications may still use them. Systems network Architecture SNA is a collection of network protocols that were originally developed for IBM mainframe computers.

Configure the Network access: Named Pipes that can be accessed anonymously setting to a null value enable the setting but do not specify named pipes in the text box. This configuration disables null-session access over named pipes, and applications that rely on this feature or on unauthenticated access to named pipes no longer function. This policy setting determines which registry paths are accessible when an application or process references the WinReg key to determine access permissions.

An attacker could use information in the registry to facilitate unauthorized activities. To reduce the risk of such an attack, suitable ACLs are assigned throughout the registry to help protect it from access by unauthorized users. Remotely accessible registry paths setting to a null value enable the setting but do not enter any paths in the text box. Remote management tools such as the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer MBSA and Microsoft Systems Management Server SMS require remote access to the stock brokerage fee malaysia to properly monitor and manage those computers.

If you remove the default registry paths from the list of accessible ones, such remote management tools could fail. This policy setting determines which registry paths and subpaths are accessible when an application or process references the WinReg key to determine access permissions.

The registry contains sensitive computer configuration information that could be used by an attacker to facilitate unauthorized activities. The fact that the default ACLs assigned throughout the registry are fairly restrictive and help to protect the registry from access by unauthorized users reduces the risk of such an attack.

Remotely accessible registry paths and sub-paths setting to a null value enable the setting but do not enter any paths in the text box. Remote management tools such as MBSA and SMS require remote access to the registry to properly monitor and manage those computers.

This policy setting enables or disables the restriction of anonymous access to only those shared folders and pipes that are named in the Network access: Named pipes that can be accessed anonymously and Network access: Shares that can be accessed anonymously settings.

This registry value toggles null session shared folders on or off to control whether the Server service restricts unauthenticated clients' access to named resources. Null sessions are a weakness that can be exploited through shared folders including the default shared folders on computers in your environment.

Restrict anonymous access to Named Pipes and Shares setting. You can enable this policy setting to restrict null-session access for unauthenticated users to all server pipes and shared folders except those that are listed in the NullSessionPipes and NullSessionShares entries. Named pipes that can be accessed anonymously:.

Any shared folders that are listed can be accessed by any network user, which could lead to the exposure or corruption of sensitive data.

Shares that can be accessed anonymously setting to a null value. There should be little impact because this is the default configuration. Only authenticated users have access to shared resources on the server. This policy setting determines how network logons that use local accounts are authenticated.

If you configure this policy setting to Classic, network logons that use local account credentials authenticate with those credentials.

If you configure this policy setting to Guest only, nifty options basics logons that use local accounts are automatically mapped to the Guest account. The Classic model provides precise new york stock exchange internship over access to resources and enables you to grant stock market response to government shutdown types of access to different users for the same resource.

Conversely, the Guest only model treats all users equally as the Guest user account, and they all receive the same level of access to a given resource, which can be either Read Only or Modify.

With the Guest only model, any user who can authenticate to your computer over the network does so with guest privileges, which probably means that they do not have write access to shared resources on that computer. Although this restriction does increase security, it makes it more difficult for authorized users to access shared resources on those computers because ACLs on those resources must include access control entries ACEs for the Guest account. With the Classic model, local accounts should be password protected.

Otherwise, if Guest access is enabled, anyone can use those user accounts to access shared system resources. For network servers, configure the Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts setting to Classic — local users authenticate as themselves.

On end-user computers, configure this policy setting to Guest only — local users authenticate as guest. This policy setting determines whether LAN Manager is prevented from storing hash values for the new password the next time the password is changed. Hash values are representation of the password after the encryption algorithm is applied that corresponds to the format specified by the algorithm. To decrypt the hash value the encryption algorithm must be determined and then reversed.

The LAN Manager hash is relatively weak and prone to attack compared to the cryptographically stronger NTLM hash. The SAM file can be targeted by attackers who seek access to user name and password hashes. Such attacks use special tools to discover passwords, which can then be used to impersonate users and gain access to resources on your network.

These types of attacks are not prevented by enabling this policy setting because LAN Manager hashes are much weaker than NTLM hashes, but it is much more difficult for these attacks to succeed. Enable the Network security: Do not store LAN Manager hash value on next password change setting.

Require all users to set new passwords the next time they log on to the domain so that LAN Manager hashes are bearbull share broker india com. If you enable this policy setting, client sessions with the SMB server are disconnected when the client's logon hours expire.

If you disable this policy setting, users can remain connected to the computer outside of their allotted logon hours. Force logoff when logon hours expire setting. This policy setting does not apply to administrator accounts. When a user's logon time expires, SMB sessions terminate. The user cannot log on to the computer forex gdzie grac the next scheduled access time commences.

Network capabilities include transparent file and print sharing, user security features, and network administration tools. In Active Directory domains, the Kerberos protocol is the default authentication protocol. However, if the Kerberos protocol is not negotiated for some reason, Active Directory uses LM, NTLM, or NTLM version 2 NTLMv2.

LAN Manager authentication includes the LM, NTLM, and NTLMv2 variants, and is the protocol that is used to authenticate all Windows clients when they perform the following operations:. This choice affects the authentication protocol level that clients use, the session security level that the computers negotiate, and the authentication level that servers accept. The following table identifies the policy settings, describes the setting, and identifies the security level used in the corresponding registry setting if you choose to use the registry to control this setting instead of the policy setting:.

Clients use LM and NTLM authentication and never use NTLMv2 session security. Domain controllers accept LM, NTLM, and NTLMv2 authentication. Clients use LM and NTLM authentication and use NTLMv2 session security if the server supports it.

Clients use NTLM authentication only and use NTLMv2 session security if the server supports it. Clients use NTLMv2 authentication only and use NTLMv2 session security if the server supports it. Clients use NTLMv2 authentication only. NTLMv2 session security is used if the server supports it. Domain controllers refuse to accept LM authentication and will accept only NTLM and NTLMv2 authentication.

Clients use NTLMv2 authentication only NTLMv2 session security is used if the server supports it. Domain controllers refuse to accept LM and NTLM authentication and will accept only NTLMv2 authentication. The default setting on servers allows all clients to authenticate with servers and use their resources.

However, this means that LM responses—the weakest form of authentication response—are sent over the network, and it is potentially possible for attackers to intercept that traffic in order to reproduce the user's password more easily.

For the logon process, NTLMv2 uses a secure channel to protect the authentication process. Configure the Network security: LAN Manager Authentication Level setting to Send NTLMv2 responses only. We and a number of independent organizations strongly recommend this level of authentication when all clients support NTLMv2. For more information about how to enable NTLMv2 on older versions of Windows, see articleHow to enable NTLM 2 authentication, in the Microsoft Knowledge Base http: Clients that do not support NTLMv2 authentication cannot authenticate in the domain and access domain resources by using LM and NTLM.

This policy setting determines the level of data signing that is requested on behalf of clients that issue LDAP BIND requests. These different levels of data signing are described in the following list:. Unsigned network traffic is susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks in which an intruder captures the packets between the client and server, modifies them, and then forwards them to the server. For an LDAP server, this susceptibility means that an attacker could cause a server to make decisions that are based on false or altered data from the LDAP queries.

To lower this risk in your network, you can implement strong physical security measures to protect the network infrastructure.

Also, you can make all types of man-in-the-middle attacks extremely difficult if you require digital signatures on all network packets by means of IPsec authentication headers. If you configure the server to require LDAP signatures, you must also configure the client. If you do not configure the client, it cannot communicate with the server, which could cause many features to fail, including user authentication, Group Policy, and logon scripts.

This policy setting allows a client computer to require the negotiation of message confidentiality encryptionmessage integrity, bit encryption, or NTLMv2 session security. These values are dependent on the LAN Manager Authentication Level policy setting value. Network traffic that uses the NTLM Security Support Provider NTLM SSP could be exposed such that an attacker who has gained access to the network can create man-in-the-middle attacks.

Enable all four options that are available for the Network security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based including secure RPC clients policy setting. Client computers that are enforcing these settings cannot communicate with older servers that do not support them.

This policy setting allows a server to require the negotiation of message confidentiality encryptionmessage integrity, bit encryption, or NTLMv2 session security. These values are dependent on the LAN Manager Authentication Level security setting value. Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based including secure RPC servers policy.

This policy setting determines whether the Administrator account password must be provided before access to the computer is granted. If you enable this setting, the Administrator account is automatically logged on to the computer at the Recovery Console; no password is required.

The Recovery Console can be very useful when you must troubleshoot and repair computers that do not start.

However, it is dangerous to allow automatic logon to the console. Anyone could walk up to the server, disconnect the power to shut it down, restart it, select Recover Console from the Restart menu, and then assume full control of the server. This policy setting enables or disables the Recovery Console SET command, which allows you to set the following Recovery Console environment variables.

An attacker who can cause the system to restart into the Recovery Console could steal sensitive data and leave no audit or access trail. Disable the Recovery console: Allow floppy copy and access to drives and folders setting. Users who have started a server through the Recovery Console and logged in with the built-in Administrator account cannot copy files and folders to a floppy disk.

This policy setting determines whether a computer can be shut down without having to log on to Windows. If you enable this policy setting, the Shut Down command is available on the Windows logon screen. If you disable this policy setting, the Shut Down option is removed from the Windows logon screen. This configuration requires that users to be able to log on to the computer successfully and have the Shut down the system user right before they can perform a computer shutdown.

Attackers could also walk to the local console and restart the server, which would cause a temporary DoS condition. Attackers could also shut down the server and leave all of its applications and services unavailable. Allow system to be shut down without having to log on setting. This policy setting determines whether the virtual memory paging file is cleared when the computer is shut down.

Virtual memory support uses a system paging file to swap pages of memory to disk when they are not used. On a running computer, this paging file is opened exclusively by the operating system, and it is well protected. However, computers that are configured to allow other operating systems to start should verify that the system paging file is cleared as the computer shuts down.

This confirmation ensures that sensitive information from process memory that might be placed in the paging file is not available to an unauthorized user who manages to directly access the paging file after shutdown. When you enable this policy setting, the system paging file is cleared when the system shuts down normally.

Also, this policy setting forces the computer to clear the hibernation file hiberfil. Important information that is kept in real memory may be written periodically to the paging file to help the operating system handle multitasking functions. An attacker who has physical access to a server that has been shut down could view the contents of the paging file. The attacker could move the system volume into a different computer and then analyze the contents of the paging file.

Although this process is time consuming, it could expose data that is cached from random access memory RAM to the paging file. Clear virtual memory page file when system shuts down setting. This configuration causes the operating system to clear the paging file when the computer is shut down.

The amount of time that is required to complete this process depends on the size of the page file. As the process overwrites the storage area used by the page file several times, it could be several minutes before the computer completely shuts down. It takes longer to shut down and restart the computer, especially on computers with large paging files. For a computer with 2 gigabytes GB of RAM and a 2-GB paging file, this policy setting could increase the shutdown process by 20 to 30 minutes, or more.

For some organizations this downtime violates their internal service-level agreements. Therefore, use caution before you implement this countermeasure in your environment. If a user's account is compromised or the user's computer is inadvertently left unsecured, the malicious user can use the keys stored for the user to access protected resources. Configure the System cryptography: Force strong key protection for user keys stored on the computer setting to User must enter a password each time they use a key so that users must provide a password that is distinct from their domain password every time they use a key.

This configuration makes it more difficult for an attacker to access locally stored user keys, even if the attacker takes control of the user's computer and determines their logon password. Users must type their password every time they access a key that is stored on their computer.

For some organizations the overhead that is involved using this configuration may be too high. At a minimum, this setting should be set to User is prompted when the key is first used. It uses only the Triple Data Encryption Standard DES encryption algorithm for the TLS traffic encryption, only the Rivest-Shamir-Adleman RSA public key algorithm for the TLS key exchange and authentication, and only the Secure Hash Algorithm version 1 SHA-1 hashing algorithm for the TLS hashing requirements.

When this setting is enabled, the Encrypting File System EFS Service supports only the Triple DES encryption algorithm for encrypting file data.

You can enable this policy setting to ensure that the computer uses the most powerful algorithms that are available for digital encryption, hashing, and signing. Use of these algorithms minimize the risk of compromise of digitally encrypted or signed data by an unauthorized user.

Enable the System cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encryption, hashing, and signing setting. Client computers that have this policy setting enabled cannot communicate by means of digitally encrypted or signed protocols with servers that do not support these algorithms. Network clients that do not support these algorithms cannot use servers that require them for network communications. For example, many Apache-based Web servers are not configured to support TLS.

If you enable this setting, you must also configure your Web browser to use TLS. This policy setting also affects the encryption level that is used for the Remote Desktop Protocol RDP. The Remote Desktop Connection tool uses the RDP protocol to communicate with servers that run Terminal Services and client computers that are configured for remote control; RDP connections fail if both computers are not configured to use the same encryption algorithms.

This policy setting enables or disables the enforcement of case insensitivity for all subsystems. However, the kernel supports case sensitivity for other subsystems, such as Portable Operating System Interface for UNIX POSIX. If you enable this setting, case insensitivity is enforced for all directory objects, symbolic links, and IO as well as file objects.

If you disable this setting, case insensitivity is not enforced, but the Win32 subsystem does not become case-sensitive. Because Windows is case-insensitive but the POSIX subsystem supports case sensitivity, failure to enable this policy setting make it possible for a user of that subsystem to create a file with the same name as another file but with a different mix of upper and lower case letters.

Such a situation could potentially confuse users when they try to access such files from normal Win32 tools because only one of the files is available. Enable the System objects: Require case insensitivity for non-Windows subsystems setting. All subsystems are forced to observe case insensitivity.

This configuration may confuse users who are familiar with any UNIX-based operating systems that are case-sensitive. This policy setting determines the strength of the default DACL for objects. Windows maintains a global list of shared computer resources such as MS-DOS device names, mutexes, and semaphores so that objects can be located and shared among processes.

Each type of object is created with a default DACL that specifies who can access the objects and with what permissions. If you enable this setting, the default DACL is strengthened because non-administrator users are allowed to read shared objects but not modify shared objects that they did not create.

This setting is enabled by default to protect against a known vulnerability that can be used with either hard links or symbolic links. Hard links are actual directory entries in the file system. With hard links the same data in a file system can be referred to by different file names. Symbolic links are text files that provide a pointer to the file that is interpreted and followed by the operating system as a path to another file or directory.

Because symbolic links are a separate file, they can exist independently of the target location. If a symbolic link is deleted, its target location remains unaffected. When this setting is disabled, it is possible for a malicious user to destroy a data file by creating a link that looks like a temporary file that the system automatically creates, such as a sequentially named log file, but points to the data file that the malicious user wants to eradicate.

When the system writes the files with that name, the data is overwritten. Strengthen default permissions of internal system objects e. Strengthen default permissions of global system objects for example, Symbolic Links setting. This policy setting determines which subsystems support your applications. You can use this security setting to specify as many subsystems as your environment demands. The POSIX subsystem is an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE standard that defines a set of operating system services.

The POSIX subsystem is required if the server supports applications that use that subsystem. The POSIX subsystem introduces a security risk that relates to processes that can potentially persist across logons.

If a user starts a process and then logs out, there is a potential that the next user who logs on to the computer could access the previous user's process. This potential is dangerous because anything the second user does with that process is performed with the privileges of the first user.

Configure the System settings: Optional subsystems setting to a null value. The default value is POSIX. Applications that rely on the POSIX subsystem no longer operate. For example, Microsoft Services for Unix SFU installs an updated version of the POSIX subsystem that is required, so you must reconfigure this setting in a Group Policy for any servers that use SFU.

This policy setting determines whether digital certificates are processed when software restriction policies are enabled and a user or process attempts to run software with an. This security setting enables or disables certificate rules a type of software restriction policies rule. For certificate rules to work in software restriction policies, you must enable this security setting.

Without the use of software restriction policies, users and computers might be exposed to the running of unauthorized software that could include malicious software such as viruses and Trojan horses. Enable the System settings: Use Certificate Rules on Windows Executables for Software Restriction Policies setting.

If you enable certificate rules, software restriction policies check a certificate revocation list CRL to verify that the software's certificate and signature are valid. This checking process may negatively affect performance when signed programs start. To disable this feature, you can edit the software restriction policies in the appropriate GPO. On the Trusted Publishers Properties dialog box, clear the Publisher and Timestamp check boxes.

This policy setting determines the behavior of Admin Approval mode for the built-in Administrator account. When this setting is enabled, the built-in Administrator account logs on in Admin Approval Mode. In this mode the local Administrator account functions like a standard user account but has the ability to elevate privileges without logging on using a different account. In this mode any operation that requires elevation of privilege displays a prompt that provides the administrator the option to choose either Permit or Deny the elevation of privilege.

When this setting is disabled, the built-in Administrator account logs on in XP-compatible mode and runs all applications by default with full administrative privileges. By default this setting is set to Disabled.

An attack vector for malicious programs is to discover the password of the account named "Administrator" because that user account was created for all installations of Windows. Enable the User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account setting if you have the built-in Administrator account enabled. Users who log on by using the local Administrator account are prompted for consent whenever a program requests an elevation in privilege.

This security setting controls whether User Interface Accessibility UIAccess or UIA programs can automatically disable the secure desktop for elevation prompts being used by a standard user. When this setting is enabled, UIA programs including Windows Remote Assistance can automatically disable the secure desktop for elevation prompts. Unless you have also disabled elevation prompts, the prompts appear on the interactive user's desktop instead of the secure desktop and also appear on the remote administrator's view of the desktop during a Windows Remote Assistance session, and the remote administrator can provide the appropriate credentials for elevation.

If you plan to enable this setting, you should also review the effect of the User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users setting. If it is configured as Automatically deny elevation requestselevation requests are not presented to the user. If you disable this setting, the secure desktop can only be disabled by the user of the interactive desktop or by disabling the User Account Control: Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation setting.

By default this setting is set to Enabled. UIA programs are designed to interact with Windows and application programs on behalf of a user. This setting allows UIA programs to bypass the secure desktop to increase usability in certain cases, but allowing elevation requests to appear on the regular interactive desktop instead of the secure desktop increases the risk that a malicious program could intercept data being transferred between the UI and the application.

Because UIA programs must be able to respond to prompts regarding security issues, such as the UAC elevation prompt, UIA programs must be highly trusted. In order to be considered trusted, a UIA program must be digitally signed. By default, UIA programs can be run only from the following protected paths:. The requirement to be in a protected path can be disabled by the " User Account Control: Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations " setting.

Although this setting applies to any UIA program, it is used primarily in certain Windows Remote Assistance scenarios. Disable the User Account Control: Allow UIAccess applications to prompt for elevation without using the secure desktop setting. If a user requests remote assistance from an administrator and the remote assistance session is established, any elevation prompts appear on the interactive user's secure desktop and the administrator's remote session is paused.

However, selecting this check box itself requires that the interactive user respond to an elevation prompt on the secure desktop.

If the interactive user is a standard user, the user does not have the required credentials to allow elevation. This policy setting determines the behavior of the elevation prompt for accounts that have administrative credentials.

This setting raises awareness to the administrator of elevated privilege operations and permits the administrator to prevent a malicious program from elevating its privilege when the program attempts to do so. Configure the User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode setting to Prompt for consent.

This is the default behavior. Administrators should be made aware that they will be prompted for consent. This setting raises awareness to the user that a program requires the use of elevated privilege operations and requires that the user be able to supply administrative credentials in order for the program to run.

Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users to Automatically deny elevation requests. This setting requires the user to log on with an administrative account to run programs that require elevation of privilege. As a security best practice, standard users should not have knowledge of administrative passwords.

However, if your users have both standard and administrator-level accounts, we recommend setting Prompt for credentials so that the users do not choose to always log in with their administrator accounts but instead shift their behavior to using the standard user account. Users must provide administrative passwords to run programs with elevated privileges. This could cause an increased load on IT staff while the programs that are affected are identified and standard operating procedures are modified to support least privilege operations.

This policy setting determines the behavior of application installation detection for the entire system. Some malicious software may attempt to install itself after being given permission to run, for example, malicious software with a trusted application shell.

The user may give permission for the program to run because the program is trusted and then is prompted for installation of an unknown component. This provides another way to trap the software before it can do damage. Detect application installations and prompt for elevation setting. This policy setting enforces public key infrastructure PKI signature checks on any interactive application that requests elevation of privilege.

Enterprise administrators can control the applications that are allowed to run through the population of certificates in the local computer's Trusted Publishers store. Intellectual property, personally identifiable information, and other confidential data are normally manipulated by applications on the computer and require elevated credentials to get access to the information. Users and administrators inherently trust applications used with these information sources and provide their credentials.

If one of these applications is replaced by a rogue application that appears identical to the trusted application, the confidential data could be compromised and the user's administrative credentials would also be compromised. Only elevate executables that are signed and validated. Enabling this setting requires that you have a PKI infrastructure and that your enterprise administrators have populated the Trusted Publishers store with the certificates for the allowed applications.

Some older applications are not signed and cannot be used in an environment that is hardened with this setting. You should carefully test your applications in a preproduction environment before implementing this setting.

Control over the applications that are installed on the desktops and the hardware that joins your domain should provide similar protection from the vulnerability addressed by this setting. Additionally, the level of protection provided by this setting is not an assurance that all rogue applications will be found.

Relatively secure locations are limited to the following directories:. UIAccess Integrity allows an application to bypass User Interface Privilege Isolation UIPI restrictions when an application is elevated in privilege from a standard user to an administrator.

When this setting is enabled, an application that has the UIAccess flag set to true in its manifest can interchange information with applications that are running at a higher privilege level, such as logon prompts and privilege elevation prompts. This ability is required to support accessibility features such as screen readers that are transmitting user interfaces to alternative forms, but is not required by most applications.

A process that is started with UIAccess rights has the following abilities:. Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations setting. If the application does not meet the security restrictions, the application is started without UIAccess rights and can interact only with applications at the same or lower privilege level. This policy setting determines the behavior of all User Account Control UAC policies for the entire system. This is the setting that turns UAC on or off.

If this setting is disabled, UAC is not used, and any security benefits and risk mitigations that are dependent on UAC are not present on the system. Run all users, including administrators, as standard users setting. Users and administrators must learn to work with UAC prompts and adjust their work habits to use least privilege operations. This policy setting determines whether the elevation request prompts on the interactive user desktop or the secure desktop.

Elevation prompt dialog boxes can be spoofed, causing users to disclose their passwords to malicious software.

The secure desktop helps protect against input and output spoofing by presenting the credentials dialog box in a protected section of memory that is accessible only by trusted system processes. This policy setting enables or disables the redirection of the write failures of earlier applications to defined locations in both the registry and file system. Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations setting. Products Windows Windows Server System Center Microsoft Edge.

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Threats and Countermeasures Guide: Security Settings in Windows Server and Windows Vista Security Options. Collapse the table of content. This documentation is archived and is not being maintained. August 9, Applies To: Windows Server Security Options. You can configure the Security Options settings in the following location within either the Group Policy Object Editor or the Group Policy Management Console: Administrator account status Accounts: Guest account status Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only Accounts: Rename administrator account Accounts: Rename guest account Audit: Audit the access of global system objects Audit: Audit the use of Backup and Restore privilege Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings Windows Vista or later to override audit policy category settings Audit: Shut down system immediately if unable to log security audits DCOM: Machine Access Restrictions in Security Descriptor Definition Language SDDL syntax DCOM: Machine Launch Restrictions in Security Descriptor Definition Language SDDL syntax Devices: Allow undock without having to log on Devices: Allowed to format and eject removable media Devices: Prevent users from installing printer drivers Devices: Restrict CD-ROM access to locally logged-on user only Devices: Restrict floppy access to locally logged-on user only Domain controller: Allow server operators to schedule tasks Domain controller: LDAP server signing requirements Domain controller: Refuse machine account password changes Domain member: Digitally encrypt or sign secure channel data multiple related settings Domain member: Disable machine account password changes Domain member: Maximum machine account password age Domain member: Do not display last user name Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to log on and Message title for users attempting to log on Interactive logon: Number of previous logons to cache in case domain controller is not available Interactive logon: Prompt user to change password before expiration Interactive logon: Require Domain Controller authentication to unlock workstation Interactive logon: Require smart card Interactive logon: Smart card removal behavior Microsoft network client and server: Digitally sign communications four related settings Microsoft network client: Send unencrypted password to third-party SMB servers Microsoft network server: Amount of idle time required before suspending session Microsoft network server: Disconnect clients when logon hours expire Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and shares Network access: Do not allow storage of passwords and credentials for network authentication Network access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users Network access: Named Pipes that can be accessed anonymously Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths and sub-paths Network access: Restrict anonymous access to Named Pipes and Shares Network access: Shares that can be accessed anonymously Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts Network security: Do not store LAN Manager hash value on next password change Network security: Force logoff when logon hours expire Network security: LAN Manager authentication level Network security: LDAP client signing requirements Network security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based including secure RPC clients Network security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based including secure RPC servers Recovery console: Allow automatic administrative logon Recovery console: Allow floppy copy and access to all drives and folders Shutdown: Allow system to be shut down without having to log on Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile System cryptography: Force strong key protection for user keys stored on the computer System cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encryption, hashing, and signing System objects: Require case insensitivity for non-Windows subsystems System objects: Symbolic Links System settings: Optional subsystems System settings: Use Certificate Rules on Windows Executables for Software Restriction Policies User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account User Account Control: Allow UIAccess applications to prompt for elevation without using the secure desktop User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation User Account Control: Only elevate executables that are signed and validated User Account Control: Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode User Account Control: Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation User Account Control: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations Accounts: Enabled Disabled Not Defined Vulnerability.

This policy setting enables or disables the Guest account. Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only. Enabled Disabled Not Defined Caution This policy setting does not affect interactive logons that are performed physically at the console or logons that use domain accounts.

It is possible for non-Microsoft applications that use remote interactive logons to bypass this policy setting. User-defined text Not Defined Vulnerability. Audit the access of global system objects. Audit the access of global system objects setting. Audit the use of Backup and Restore privilege. Force audit policy subcategory settings Windows Vista or later to override audit policy category settings. The following table lists these subcategories: Category—Subcategory Description Default Setting System—Security System Extension Reports the loading of extension code such as authentication packages by the security subsystem.

No Auditing System—System Integrity Reports on violations of integrity of the security subsystem. Success and Failure System—IPsec Driver Reports on the activities of the Internet Protocol security IPsec driver.

No Auditing System—Other System Events Reports on other system events. Success and Failure System—Security State Change Reports changes in security state of the system, such as when the security subsystem starts and stops. No Auditing Object Access—File System Reports when file system objects are accessed. No Auditing Object Access—Registry Reports when registry objects are accessed. No Auditing Object Access—Kernel Object Reports when kernel objects such as processes and mutexes are accessed.

No Auditing Object Access—SAM Reports when SAM objects are accessed. No Auditing Object Access—Certification Services Reports when Certification Services operations are performed.

No Auditing Object Access—Application Generated Reports when applications attempt to generate audit events by using the Windows auditing application programming interfaces APIs. No Auditing Object Access—Handle Manipulation Reports when a handle to an object is opened or closed. No Auditing Object Access—File Share Reports when a file share is accessed.