Configuring Windows 2000 Server Security (Syngress) [Paperback]

Thomas W. Shinder (Author), Stace Cunningham (Author), D. Lynn White (Author), Syngress Media (Author), Garrick Olsen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1928994024 | ISBN-13: 978-1928994022 | Publication Date: March 12, 2000 | Edition: 1

Read the business pages or computer press and you will find a major news story involving a breech of network security. Windows NT, as the premier network platform, has many important security features but they are difficult to configure and manage. With the launch of Windows 2000 Server (the successor to NT Server 4.0), Microsoft has announced several new security features that must be quickly understood by network administrators.
This book provides information about the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system security services, including security management using the Microsoft Security Configuration Tool Set, support for IP Security, the Encrypting File System, Public Key Infrastructure, smart cards, and Kerberos.



* The release of this book is targeted to correspond with the release of Windows 2000 Server
* The security of an organization's data and communications is critical to its survival
* Brings Clarity to topics that are notoriously difficult to grasp

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The team of Microsoft-certified experts who collaborated on this book have done great work. Configuring Windows 2000 Server Security takes on a single, vital feature of Windows 2000 Server operations and does a fantastic job of explaining its many aspects, both conceptually and practically.

The prose style of this book frequently strays from the elegant, but it expertly documents processes and explains complicated architectures through experience and research. Where it's appropriate to do so, the authors include directions on how to use security services, including Kerberos and the Encrypting File System (EFS).

Most of the coverage examines behind-the-interface operations, relying on flow diagrams and uncluttered conceptual drawings to illustrate processes like smart-card authentication and the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Question-and-answer sections at the end of each chapter are particularly strong. The questions are well chosen (a typical one asks about using 128-bit encryption across an international network) with clear, carefully supported answers.

The book's index fails miserably, largely because it seems to exclude topics covered in the Q&A sections. You'll find yourself marking useful pages for later reference. But that's a petty complaint. For administrators who aren't willing to take Windows' word on matters of security and can't get adequate answers from Microsoft's documentation, this book is a fine selection. --David Wall

Topics covered: Information security features of Windows 2000 Server and their relationships to corresponding features in Windows NT 4. Coverage includes Users, Groups, Kerberos, keeping Active Directory secure, use of the Security Configuration Tool Set, the Encrypting File System (EFS), secure Internet connectivity, the IPSec protocols, smart cards, and the Windows 2000 implementation of the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

About the Author

Stace Cunningham (CMISS, CCNA, MCSE, CLSE, COS/2E, CLSI, COS/2I, CLSA, MCPS, A+) operates SDC Consulting in Biloxi, MS. He has assisted several clients, including a casino, in the development and implementation of their networks, which range in size from 20 nodes to over 12,000 nodes. Stace has been heavily involved in technology for over 14 years. During that time he has participated as a Technical Contributor for the IIS 3.0 exam, SMS 1.2 exam, Proxy Server 1.0 exam, Exchange Server 5.0 and 5.5 exams, Proxy Server 2.0 exam, IIS 4.0 exam, IEAK exam, and the revised Windows 95 exam. Stace was an active contributor to The SANS Institute booklet "Windows NT Security Step by Step".

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Syngress; 1 edition (March 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1928994024
• ISBN-13: 978-1928994022
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,281,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has all the juicy details, February 2, 2000

By 

Richard Smith (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Configuring Windows 2000 Server Security (Syngress) (Paperback)

I bought this book because I wasn't able to make much sense out of the stuff in TechNet regarding how security worked in Windows 2000. I was pleasantly surprized to see that all the things I was wondering about, like IPSec and the Security Configuration Manager and Kerberos were covered in a way that I could understand and use on the job. I've seen the shinder's write on the mailing lists and newsgroups, and was happy to see they write books as good as they write emails. I recommend this book to anybody needing to get a handle on Windows 2000 security.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feel Secure, January 6, 2000

By 

Todd Michaels (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Configuring Windows 2000 Server Security (Syngress) (Paperback)

I am responsible for our company's migration to Windows 2000, and implementing and maintaining security procedures is obviously a huge part of this task. Win200 includes so many new security features (Kerberos, PKI, etc.), you really need significant resources to understand them all. The authors of this book obviously know their stuff and have spent some serious time researching this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only good Windows 2000 Security, July 4, 2000

By 

Jay Nuckt (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Configuring Windows 2000 Server Security (Syngress) (Paperback)

I bought this book after trying to understand the material in TechNet. Since I wasn't able to understand what they were trying to say, I got the Coriolis Win2000 Black Book. That was a mistake. In desparation I got this one, and everything started to make sense. The chapters on IPSec, the Security Configuration Toolset and Distributed Security Services are worth the price of the book alone. Until someone comes out with a better W2000 Security book, this is the book to have.