Desktop Management Depot

Discussing Windows 7 with Mark Minasi

dnielson — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:50:23 +0000

The release of Windows 7 is on the horizon, and we recently caught up with Windows guru Mark Minasi to discuss his thoughts on Microsoft’s next desktop operating system. What are the compelling reasons to deploy Windows 7? What is Microsoft planning to do about hardware support for the new OS? Are there any new features worth getting excited about? Listen to our podcast with Mark Minasi to learn more about Windows 7.
Press play below to listen to the podcast.

Highlights:

(0:29) Compelling reasons to deploy Windows 7

(1:43) Hardware support in Windows 7

(2:32) Branch cache can free up bandwidth in Windows 7 environments

(3:47) How will admins go about deploying Windows 7?

(5:15) AppLocker can prevent users from installing applications on your machines

(7:44) The release of Windows 7

Security policies for Windows systems

dnielson — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:57:07 +0000

Creating and enforcing security policies is often a very difficult task for the IT admin. But what about security policies makes them such a headache? In this podcast, security expert Kevin Beaver shares his thoughts on why security policies are so tough to create and enforce, why these policies should be handed down from the top of the organization as well as how admins should handle establishing a password policy.
Press play below to listen to the podcast.

Highlights:

(0:35) The pains of Windows security policy creation

(1:46) Why is creating a security policy so difficult?

(3:06) The top three ways to establish a strong password policy

(6:07) The evils behind missing password policies

Fat clients vs. dumb terminals

dnielson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:28:35 +0000

The debate still rages over whether a dumb terminal environment or a network of fat clients is the best for your average Windows network. Is it easier and more cost efficient to run a dumb terminal environment and limit endpoint manageability concerns? Is it worth your while to run a fat client environment and limit the strain placed on your servers? In this podcast, IT expert Brien Posey shares his thoughts on the pros and cons of dumb terminals and fat clients and offers his thoughts on how to make this call in your organization.
Press play below to listen to the podcast.

Highlights:

(0:46) The advantages of a dumb terminal environment

(1:17) Disadvantages of dumb terminals

(1:35) Running fat client machines and limited resources on a server

(2:35) Why wouldn’t you want to run a fat client environment?

(3:07) Fat client and dumb terminal word association

(4:19) The middle ground

DNS flaw threatens Windows shops

dnielson — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:54:29 +0000

July’s highly publicized DNS flaw had the security world scrambling as a team of researchers worked to protect Windows shops against a cache poisoning vulnerability. In this month’s What’s Hot in Windows Security podcast, learn more about the origin of the DNS flaw, how you can defend your Windows network against related exploits and where we stand now in terms of correcting the flaw.

Highlights:

(0:47) Windows DNS cache poisoning attack plagues Windows shops

(2:13) Early information leak increases security risks

(3:04) How close are we to a resolution?

(3:37) How can you protect yourself against this attack?

(4:57) What level of damage can this flaw cause?

Access control and endpoint security in Windows networks

dnielson — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:02:25 +0000

Have you experienced an issue with access control in your Windows network? Have you ever worried about business-critical data stored on a laptop computer? How about threats posed by remote users? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this month’s ITKE roundup podcast could help you improve security in your Windows IT shop.

Highlights:

(0:27) The latest security news from the world of Windows

(2:17) How can I prevent malware infections in my Windows environment?

(3:37) How can I prevent users from accessing data on network endpoints?

(4:37) How can I defend Windows network against threats posed by remote users?

NAP and encryption can improve Vista security

dnielson — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:11:21 +0000

In this podcast, Brien Posey discusses how to live with Windows Vista, including why admins should use NAP in Vista, why they should use a Windows Server 2008 controller and how encryption in Vista can go wrong.

Highlights:

(0:42) How can NAP aid Windows security?

(1:33) Why should admins who run Vista use a Windows Server 2008 domain controller?

(2:12) How do you set up a Windows Server 2008 domain controller in Vista?

(2:30) Is there a downside to encryption in Vista?

(2:56) Data loss horror stories

Configure user rights in Windows systems

dnielson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:27:59 +0000

If you look at 100 different Windows shops, chances are you’ll see 100 different configurations with 100 sets of unique problems. Because of this, many admins are forced to configure Windows user rights in their own special way to get their desired user permission settings. In this podcast, learn about some user rights configuration issues that your peers have experienced in their organizations.

Highlights:

(0:53) Can I change my domain policy to add new machines with different access permissions?

(1:51) Why can users who are not admins modify network files?

(2:47) How can I force a privilege refresh in Windows Vista?

Antivirus incompatibilities in Windows XP SP 3

dnielson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:27:07 +0000

This month, security expert Kevin Beaver joins us to share his experiences with Windows Vista and XP SP3. Hear about what could go wrong with Vista and XP SP3, including antivirus incompatibilities. Also, beware of what kinds of common security issues could be going unchecked in your Windows network. Are you up to date with Windows patches? Is your Windows shop configured properly? Are your Windows servers secure? Find out in the June installment of our “What’s hot in Windows security” podcast series.

Highlights:

(0:41) The latest info on Windows XP SP3 and why you should keep up with security testing

(4:30) Security demons that might be in your organization

(7:11) Windows 7’s potential impact on the security landscape

XP SP 3 delayed again…are XP users at risk?

dnielson — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:46:18 +0000

The May 2008 installment of our “What’s hot in Windows security” podcast series covers the latest delay for Windows XP SP3, with security expert Kevin Beaver. Learn about what caused this delay, what the XP security landscape will look like once SP 3 is finally released, as well as the latest on Vista implementation within enterprises and Microsoft bugs.

Highlights:

(0:36) Windows XP SP 3 delayed…again

(1:50) The post XP SP 3 security landscape

(3:20) The state of Windows Vista implementation among enterprises

(4:57) Microsoft mislabels Skype as malware

(6:04) A bug in Microsoft can be exploited in Web apps that run IIS and SQL Server

(7:17) The seriousness of the IIS and SQL Server bug

How to manage user rights, patches and Group Policy

dnielson — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:11:39 +0000

In this installment of our Ask the Security Expert Roundup podcast series, we explain how you can learn to manage user rights, Windows patches and Group Policy in Windows by visiting our IT Knowledge Exchange, a forum driven by the security pro for the security pro.

Highlights:

(0:57) How do I know if my Windows patches have been implemented?

(2:17) How can I allow folder access but prevent folder deletion?

(4:35) What settings should I use to deny accidental file deletion in a shared folder?

(6:03) How can I restrict software installation with Group Policy?