Book Image

Mastering Windows Group Policy

By : Jordan Krause
5 (1)
Book Image

Mastering Windows Group Policy

5 (1)
By: Jordan Krause

Overview of this book

This book begins with a discussion of the core material any administrator needs to know in order to start working with Group Policy. Moving on, we will also walk through the process of building a lab environment to start testing Group Policy today. Next we will explore the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and start using the powerful features available for us within that interface. Once you are well versed with using GPMC, you will learn to perform and manage the traditional core tasks inside Group Policy. Included in the book are many examples and walk-throughs of the different filtering options available for the application of Group Policy settings, as this is the real power that Group Policy holds within your network. You will also learn how you can use Group Policy to secure your Active Directory environment, and also understand how Group Policy preferences are different than policies, with the help of real-world examples. Finally we will spend some time on maintenance and troubleshooting common Group Policy-related issues so that you, as a directory administrator, will understand the diagnosing process for policy settings. By the end of the book, you will be able to jump right in and use Group Policy to its full potential.
Table of Contents (12 chapters)

Group Policy as a Security Mechanism

Group Policy can and should be used inside any Active Directory domain environment for many different duties. While certainly useful for deploying settings and applications, and for making life easier on your users, in my opinion, those things are far from the most important focus area for Group Policy.

To me, security is the single most important aspect of the capabilities provided to us inside the Group Policy engine. Password policies, firewall rules, application blockers, the list goes on and on. Since Group Policy is basically all-powerful and able to manipulate almost anything on any workstation joined to your domain, it makes all kinds of sense to utilize this platform as your primary mechanism for securing the entire Windows infrastructure.

The following topics will be covered in this chapter:

  • Password rules and regulations
  • A plethora...