Learn how to implement basic AD security features
In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the basics involved in securing a few key Windows 2000 areas. In Part 2, I cover the fundamentals of using Active Directory's (AD's) Group Policy to implement basic security features. AD is a huge topic, and I can't cover it all in this article. If you haven't installed or even looked at AD, read Microsoft's online documentation, peruse the information in Win2K Server Help, or pick up a book about AD. AD is important for properly deploying such Win2K security features as Encrypting File System (EFS), public key infrastructure (PKI), and Group Policy. I'll cover EFS and PKI in an upcoming article.
AD provides a more convenient way to manage your domain than Windows NT's primary and secondary domain management, which in large organizations, can be troublesome and time consuming. To install AD on a Win2K Server machine, click Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, Configure Your Server. Then, select Active Directory from the choices on the left. Follow the wizard steps, and in about 30 minutes to 1 hour, you'll have AD installed and ready to use. Now, let's look at Group Policy and the considerations involved in implementing this important AD feature. . . .
