Managing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment

Chapter 14:Windows Server 2003

Security Features

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Objectives

• Identify the various elements and techniques that can be used to secure a Windows Server 2003 system

• Use Security Configuration and Analysis tools to configure and review security settings

• Audit access to resources and review Security log settings

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Securing Your Windows 2003 System

• Five broad categories of security-related features:• Authentication

• Access control

• Encryption

• Security policies

• Service packs and hot fixes

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Authentication

• Most basic level is requiring a user id and password to log on to some system

• In a domain environment, authentication is centralized on the network while in a workgroup environment, authentication is local

• In a domain environment, a single authentication can provide access to multiple domains and forests

• Additional authentication methods can apply to other services (e.g., IIS)

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Access Control

• Access control is used to secure resources such as files, folders, and printers

• Common types of access control are NTSF and shared folder permissions, printer permissions, Active Directory object permissions

• The “principle of least privilege” implies that users should only have the access that they really need

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Encryption

• Confidential files can be encrypted using the Encrypting File System (EFS) for local files stored on NTFS volumes

• EFS uses a combination of public and private keys • The IPSec protocol can encrypt the contents of

packets sent across a TCP/IP network• There are two IPSec modes: transport and tunnel• IPSec is used to make it difficult for hackers to

intercept sensitive network data

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Security Policies• Security policy settings can be configured from

the Local Security Policy and Group Policy Object Editor MMC snap-ins

• Security policies control a range of security settings

• Windows Server 2003 includes tools that analyze policy settings compared to pre-configured security templates• Security Configuration and Analysis MMC snap-in• Command-line SECEDIT utility

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Service Packs and Hot Fixes

• Many critical updates and patches are related to security issues

• Hot fixes address a specific identified issue• A service pack is a cumulative collection of hot

fixes and updates• Service packs and hot fixes can be downloaded

and installed from Microsoft• Software Update Services can assist in automating

and managing the distribution of updates

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Using Security Configuration Manager Tools

• Windows Server 2003 provides tools specifically designed to help configure and manage security settings (Security Configuration Manager tools)

• These tools plus Group Policies can be used to set up a Security Policy template which is administered centrally

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Using Security Configuration Manager Tools (continued)

• The Security Configuration and Analysis tool will compare a security template to existing settings

• The Security Configuration Manager tools include these components:• Security templates

• Security settings in Group Policy objects

• Security Configuration and Analysis tool

• SECEDIT command-line tool

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Security Templates

• Templates help ensure consistency and ease maintenance across multiple machines

• Templates are text-based files• Should not be edited or changed using a text-based

editor

• There are a number of pre-defined templates for various settings

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Security Templates (continued)

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Activity 14-1: Browsing Security Templates

• Objective: To become familiar with built-in security templates

• Start Run type mmc OK File Add/Remove Snap-in Add

• Locate and view the available templates as directed

• Browse through the available templates and the specific policies associated with them

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Analyzing the Pre-configured Security Templates

• Network computers can be categorized as:• Workstations

• Servers

• Domain controllers

• Pre-configured templates are applicable to a specific category of computer

• Only Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 can use security templates

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The Default Template

• The Setup Security.inf template contains default security settings applied when Windows Server 2003 is installed

• Contents depend upon the original configuration of computer (fresh install, upgrade, etc.)

• Allows an administrator to return to original settings easily

• Should not be applied using Group Policy

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Incremental Templates

• Modify security configurations incrementally• Can only be applied on top of default security

settings because they do not specify baseline configurations

• Templates include: compatws.inf, securews.inf, securedc.inf, hisecws.inf, hisecdc.inf, iesacls.inf, dc security.inf, rootsec.inf

• Custom templates can also be created

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Applying Security Templates

• Security templates can be applied to local machine or a domain

• For local machine• Open Local Security Setting MMC snap-in and import

a policy

• For domain• Use Group Policy Objects

• Security settings from GPOs override local settings

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Applying Security Templates (continued)

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Activity 14-2: Creating a Security Template

• Objective: to explore the creation of a custom security template

• Open a New Template from the MMC Security Templates snap-in as directed

• Configure settings for the new template as specified

• Save the template• View the template file

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Activity 14-3: Applying Security Template Settings to

Group Policy Objects• Objective: to use Group Policy to deploy security

template settings• Start Administrative Tools Active Directory

Users and Computers• Open the Default Domain Policy from the

Properties of the domain• Import the previously created template as directed• Verify settings

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Security Configuration and Analysis

• The Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in permits the comparison of current system settings to those configured in templates

• The comparison identifies changes and potential weaknesses

• Multiple templates can be compared at once• Multiple templates can be combined and saved• Changes can be made directly within the snap-in

by selecting the desired configuration

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Security Configuration and Analysis (continued)

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Activity 14-2: Creating a Security Template (continued)

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Activity 14-4: Analyzing Security Settings Using Security

Configuration and Analysis• Objective: To use the Security Configuration and

Analysis snap-in to compare current configuration with security template settings

• Open the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in as directed and open a new database

• Import the hisecdc.inf template for comparison• Perform the analysis• Review and compare the settings as directed

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Activity 14-4 (continued)

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SECEDIT Command-Line Tool

• SECEDIT is a command-line tool used to create and apply security templates and analyze settings

• Can be used where Group Policy cannot be applied

• Six main switches• Analyze• Configure• Export• Import• Validate• GenerateRollback

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Auditing Access to Resources and Analyzing Security Logs

• Auditing is used to track events on a network• An audit policy defines which events should be

recorded • and whether successes and/or failures should be

recorded

• Audited events are written into a security log which can be viewed with Event Viewer

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Activity 14-5: Exploring Default Auditing Settings

• Objective: to explore the auditing settings of the default domain controller GPO

• Open the Properties of the Domain Controllers OU in Active Directory Users and Computers

• Edit the Default Domain Controllers Policy on the Group Policy tab as directed

• Open the Audit Policy node and browse through the various policy settings

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Activity 14-5 (continued)

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Activity 14-5 (continued)

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Configuring Auditing• The role of a computer on the network influences

how an audit policy is configured• For member servers or workstations

• Audit policies are implemented using GPOs assigned to the domain or OUs

• For domain controllers• Audit policies are implemented via the Default Domain

Controllers Policy applied to Domain Controllers OU

• For standalone workstations and servers• Audit policies defined using Local Security Policy tool

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Requirements and Configuring an Audit Policy

• Requirements• You must have proper permissions (Administrators

Group or Manage auditing and security log user right)• Auditing files and folders can only be done on NTFS

volumes

• Configuring an audit policy• Configure auditing on events to be monitored and if

logging occurs on success and/or failure• Configure auditing on specific resource objects such as

files, folders, printers, and Active Directory objects

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Configuring an Audit Policy (continued)

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Activity 14-6: Configuring and Testing New Audit Policy

Settings• Objective: to become familiar with changing and

testing the configuration of audit policy settings• Open the Default Domain Controllers Policy GPO

auditing settings• Reconfigure the settings as directed• Manually refresh the Group Policy settings• Test the new settings and view results using Event

Viewer

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Auditing Object Access

• When files and folders reside on an NTFS volume, you can monitor attempted and successful accesses of these objects

• Caution -- this can result in a large number of events being logged

• Object auditing is configured through the Advanced Security Settings on the resource

• Auditing is also possible for Active Directory objects

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Auditing Object Access (continued)

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Activity 14-7: Configuring Auditing on an NTFS Folder

• Objective: to log failed and successful accesses to an NTFS folder

• Create and configure NTFS permissions for a new folder

• Configure auditing settings for the folder• Test the auditing settings and permissions by

attempting to access and delete the folder• Use Event Viewer to verify correct auditing

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Activity 14-7 (continued)

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Best Practices

• Plan carefully before implementing an audit policy• General guidelines:

• Only audit events that provide truly useful information

• Review entries in the security log regularly

• Audit sensitive and confidential information

• Audit the Everyone group – it includes unauthenticated users

• Audit the assignment of user rights

• Audit the Administrators group

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Analyzing Security Logs

• For each event defined in an audit policy, an entry is written in the Security log if that event occurs

• Use Event Viewer to examine the Security log• The log provides a summary of the date and time

of each event, and the user performing the action• More details by double-clicking the entry• Event Viewer provides find and filter options to

assist in managing the Security log

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Analyzing Security Logs (continued)

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Analyzing Security Logs (continued)

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Activity 14-8: Configuring Event Viewer Log Properties

• Objective: to use the find and filter features in Event Viewer to manage log files

• Open Event Viewer and view local Security log• Use the Find feature to locate specific types of

events as directed• Next, use the Filter feature to manage the log,

displaying only events meeting specified criteria• Redisplay all records in the log as directed

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Configuring Event Viewer

• There are a number of configurable settings that determine the size, number of entries, and overwrite policy in a security log

• Default initial security log size is 16 MB in Windows Server 2003 (up from 512 KB in 2000)

• Settings are configured from the Properties of the Security log in Event Viewer

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Configuring Event Viewer (continued)

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Activity 14-9: Editing Security Log Settings and Saving Events• Objective: to configure properties of the Security

log and save event entries for archiving purposes• Open the Properties of the Security log through

Event Viewer• Reconfigure the Security log size and overwrite

properties as directed• Save and clear the Security log as noted• Open the saved log to verify

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Summary

• Windows Server 2003 offers security-related features in five categories: authentication, access control, encryption, security policies, and service packs and hot fixes

• Windows Server 2003 offers a package of Security Configuration Manager tools:• Security templates, security settings in GPOs, Security

Configuration and Analysis tool, SECEDIT command-line tool

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Summary (continued)

• Auditing is used to log specific events within a Windows Server 2003 configuration

• An audit policy defines the events to be monitored• Specific resources and objects can be configured

for auditing access attempts• A Security log contains record of audited events• Event Viewer is used to display and manage

Security logs