Guide To Securing Microsoft Windows Xp Systems For It Professionals A Nist Security Configuration Checklist

When an IT security configuration checklist (e.g., hardening or lockdown guide) is applied to a system in combination with trained system administrators and a sound and effective security program, a substantial reduction in vulnerability exposure can be achieved. This guide will assist personnel responsible for the administration and security of Windows XP systems. It contains information that can be used to secure local Windows XP workstations, mobile computers, and telecommuter systems more effectively in a variety of environments, including small office, home office and managed enterprise environments. The guidance should only be applied throughout an enterprise by trained and experienced system administrators. Illustrations.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)developed this document in furtherance of its statutory responsibilities under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002, Public Law 107-347. This publication seeks to assist information technology (IT) professionals who may be responsible for securing Windows XP Home Edition computers within home offices for their organizations. Portions of the publication can also be usedby home users, such as telecommuting Federal civilian agency employees and private sector organizations or individuals, to secure their personal Windows XP Home Edition computers from common threats such as malware and to keep their computers secure.

Fed. agencies are facing a set of cybersecurity threats that are the result of increasingly sophisticated methods of attack & the blending of once distinct types of attack into more complex & damaging forms. Examples of these threats include: spam (unsolicited commercial e-mail), phishing (fraudulent messages to obtain personal or sensitive data), & spyware (software that monitors user activity without user knowledge or consent). This report determines: the potential risks to fed. systems from these emerging cybersecurity threats; the fed. agencies' perceptions of risk & their actions to mitigate them, fed. & private-sector actions to address the threats on a nat. level; & governmentwide challenges to protecting fed. systems from these threats. Illus.

Discusses all types of corporate risks and practical means of defending against them. Security is currently identified as a critical area of Information Technology management by a majority of government, commercial, and industrial organizations. Offers an effective risk management program, which is the most critical function of an information security program.

Organizations, worldwide, have adopted practical and applied approaches for mitigating risks and managing information security program. Considering complexities of a large-scale, distributed IT environments, security should be proactively planned for and prepared ahead, rather than as used as reactions to changes in the landscape. Strategic and Practical Approaches for Information Security Governance: Technologies and Applied Solutions presents high-quality research papers and practice articles on management and governance issues in the field of information security. The main focus of the book is to provide an organization with insights into practical and applied solutions, frameworks, technologies and practices on technological and organizational factors. The book aims to be a collection of knowledge for professionals, scholars, researchers and academicians working in this field that is fast evolving and growing as an area of information assurance.

"This book explores the latest empirical research and best real-world practices for preventing, weathering, and recovering from disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis to nuclear disasters and cyber terrorism"--Provided by publisher.