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

Physical servers and virtualization

Today, your organization will most likely have physical devices for both your data center and end users. In your data center, your servers will be running some form of Windows Server on top of the physical hardware layer and your end user devices will be running a version of Windows OS on top of the hardware layer. This adds an additional layer of concern as it relates to security. Within the physical device, your OS requires interaction with the hardware and your data will, at times, be in use on hardware components such as the CPU and RAM, which will be in clear text. The same will apply to the hard drive, which will contain your OS and any personal data stored locally when data is at rest. If no action is taken regarding your storage devices, your data will be in clear text and easily readable. Understanding the physical layer of your devices and what can be done to help better protect them is a critical...