Windows Server 2008 R2: Hacking and Securing

Explore Server Manager in Windows Server 2008 R2, review Active Directory domain controller and DNS server roles, and use Best Practices Analyzer to verify configurations.

Use the security configuration wizard to lock down a Windows server by reviewing installed roles and features, disabling unused services, and closing unnecessary network ports.

Use the LDP tool to verify domain and forest functional levels. Confirm they are Windows Server 2008 R2 and cannot be raised higher.

Raise the domain functional level to match the forest, then create and link one group policy object to an organizational unit to deploy settings across many computers.

Configure Windows security settings with the security compliance manager, covering account policies, local policies, audit policy, user rights management, and Kerberos versus NTLM authentication.

Create restricted groups to control administrator membership and remove unauthorized users after group policy updates. Use group policy object editor to centrally grant folder and registry permissions across IT computers.

Automate group policy deployment with the security compliance manager, duplicating and merging security templates. Deploy predefined policies in a domain and export the results as a GPO.

Master SCM for managing templates, exporting security templates and GPO backups, and importing policies to an Active Directory domain.

As a Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator, learn to protect data at rest, control which applications run, and ensure backups to prevent data disclosure and espionage.

Apply BitLocker disk encryption with TPM or USB startup keys to secure system partitions. Use group policy and application whitelist to control applications and prevent attacks.

Learn how BitLocker protects data with hard disk encryption, requiring a recovery key or BIOS USB key, while AES encryption and a defuser mechanism defend against ciphertext manipulation attacks.

Configure AppLocker and software restriction policies via group policy and organizational units, creating executable, Windows Installer, and script rules to secure applications while BitLocker encryption runs in the background.

Create and test AppLocker rules: publisher, path, or file hash, to block or allow programs, add exceptions, and verify deployment via the application identity service.

Install and configure Windows Server Update Services on Windows Server 2008 R2, including IIS setup and component checks; maintain an update store on a dedicated disk with a SQL database.

Configure WSUS on Windows Server 2008 R2, install report viewer controls, enable local update storage, and set up a SQL Server 2008 database and dedicated web site for updates.

Build an Active Directory environment while configuring Windows Server Update Services, apply group policy to organizational units, and move the domain administrator workstation to the IT OU.

Learn to manage client configurations with group policy, add the wsus administrative templates, and configure Windows Update automatic updates and wsus server location for centralized control.

Link the GPO to an organizational unit or domain to update all computers, ensuring the policy loads at restart via the WSUS server, and address security concerns about permissions.

Learn to create and manage local administrator accounts from a domain controller, using global and local groups to enable domain administrators on client computers while preserving standard domain user status.

Learn to configure certification authorities in Windows Server, including enterprise and standalone CAs, with web enrollment, issuing certificates to users and devices, and managing PKI trust.

Demonstrates automatic certificate issuance over the network using templates and the security tab's auto field, distinguishing automatic assignment from on-request issuance for domain computers and users.

Validate real environment certificate deployment in a Windows domain by verifying auto enrollment, template settings, and manual approval, then confirm Active Directory subject names and CA trust via browser.

Use attack surface analyzer to scan for changes across processes, ACLs, registry keys, and executables. Review the report for suspicious entries, misconfigurations, and attack surface in a networked Windows environment.