Book Image

Mastering Windows Security and Hardening

By : Mark Dunkerley, Matt Tumbarello
Book Image

Mastering Windows Security and Hardening

By: Mark Dunkerley, Matt Tumbarello

Overview of this book

Are you looking for effective ways to protect Windows-based systems from being compromised by unauthorized users? Mastering Windows Security and Hardening is a detailed guide that helps you gain expertise when implementing efficient security measures and creating robust defense solutions. We will begin with an introduction to Windows security fundamentals, baselining, and the importance of building a baseline for an organization. As you advance, you will learn how to effectively secure and harden your Windows-based system, protect identities, and even manage access. In the concluding chapters, the book will take you through testing, monitoring, and security operations. In addition to this, you’ll be equipped with the tools you need to ensure compliance and continuous monitoring through security operations. By the end of this book, you’ll have developed a full understanding of the processes and tools involved in securing and hardening your Windows environment.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
1
Section 1: Getting Started
6
Section 2: Applying Security and Hardening
13
Section 3: Protecting, Detecting, and Responding for Windows Environments

Advanced Windows hardening configurations

Next, let's look at the advanced Windows hardening configurations to deploy to your client workstations. These configurations will cover user authentication with biometrics and PINs, risk prevention by setting up Defender AV scan settings and SmartScreen filters, and the protection of user data with BitLocker Drive Encryption. We will also discuss how to mitigate common attack vectors, such as name resolution poisoning and Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, that can be overlooked in your default Windows baseline policies and put your systems at risk from an inside attack.

First, let's look at using Windows Hello for Business to replace passwords as an authentication mechanism.

Enabling Windows Hello for Business

Windows Hello for Business is a great first step in a passwordless journey and enables the use of biometric sensors or device PINs as an alternative way to log in to Windows. Windows Hello for Business is backed by...