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Mastering Windows Security and Hardening
Mastering Windows Security and Hardening

Mastering Windows Security and Hardening: Secure and protect your Windows environment from cyber threats using zero-trust security principles , Second Edition

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Profile Icon Mark Dunkerley Profile Icon Matt Tumbarello
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$38.99 $43.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.8 (20 Ratings)
eBook Aug 2022 816 pages 2nd Edition
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$38.99 $43.99
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$54.99
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Mark Dunkerley Profile Icon Matt Tumbarello
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$38.99 $43.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.8 (20 Ratings)
eBook Aug 2022 816 pages 2nd Edition
eBook
$38.99 $43.99
Paperback
$54.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m
eBook
$38.99 $43.99
Paperback
$54.99
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Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

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Mastering Windows Security and Hardening

Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Windows Security

In recent times, cybersecurity has become a hot topic throughout the world, and even more so with leadership teams and board members of major organizations asking the question: Are we secure? The short answer is no: no one is secure in today’s digital world, and the time has never been more critical to ensure that you are doing everything within your power to protect your organization and its users.

As we continue to receive daily news of breaches throughout the world, it is clear how severe the issue of cybercrime has become. To put it bluntly, we simply need to do a better job of protecting the data that we collect and manage within our organizations today. This isn’t an easy task, especially with the advancement of organized cyber and state-sponsored groups with budgets most likely far exceeding that of most organizations. As security professionals, we need to do our due diligence and ensure we identify all risks within the organization. Once identified, they will need to be addressed or accepted as a risk by leadership.

As a consumer, it is most likely that your data has already been breached, and there’s a chance your account information and passwords are sitting on the dark web somewhere. We need to work with the assumption that our personal data has already been breached and build better barriers around our data and account information. For example, in the US, purchasing identity protection as a service to monitor your identity can serve as an insurance policy if you incur any damages. In addition to this, the ability to place your credit reports on hold to prevent bad actors from opening accounts under your name is another example of a defensive approach that you can take to protect your personal identity.

Important Note

There are many identity protection plans available today; a couple of notable ones include Norton LifeLock (https://www.lifelock.com/) and Aura Identity Guard (https://www.identityguard.com/). For those in the US, you can lock your credit for free online at each of the Credit Bureau’s websites: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

As the cybersecurity workforce continues to evolve and strengthen with more and more talented individuals, we want to help contribute to the importance of securing our data, and we hope this book will provide you with the necessary knowledge to do the right thing for your organization. As you read this book, you will not only learn the technical aspects of securing Windows, but you will also learn what else is necessary to ensure the protection of Windows and those who use it. Protecting Windows has become a lot more than making a few simple configuration changes and installing an antivirus (AV) tool. There is an entire ecosystem of controls, tools, and technologies to help protect your Windows systems and users. This means adopting a layered approach to protecting your devices, taking into consideration the network, applications, infrastructure, hardware, identity, monitoring, auditing, and much more.

As you read through this chapter, you will learn about the broader fundamentals of security and the principles behind the foundation that is needed to protect your Windows environment. Specifically, you will learn about the following topics:

  • Understanding the security transformation
  • Living in today’s digital world
  • Today’s threats
  • Ransomware preparedness
  • Identifying vulnerabilities
  • Recognizing breaches
  • Current security challenges
  • Focusing on zero trust
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Key benefits

  • Learn to protect your Windows environment using zero-trust and a multi-layered security approach
  • Implement security controls using Intune, Configuration Manager, Defender for Endpoint, and more
  • Understand how to onboard modern cyber-threat defense solutions for Windows clients

Description

Are you looking for the most current and effective ways to protect Windows-based systems from being compromised by intruders? This updated second edition is a detailed guide that helps you gain the expertise to implement efficient security measures and create robust defense solutions using modern technologies. The first part of the book covers security fundamentals with details around building and implementing baseline controls. As you advance, you’ll learn how to effectively secure and harden your Windows-based systems through hardware, virtualization, networking, and identity and access management (IAM). The second section will cover administering security controls for Windows clients and servers with remote policy management using Intune, Configuration Manager, Group Policy, Defender for Endpoint, and other Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud security technologies. In the last section, you’ll discover how to protect, detect, and respond with security monitoring, reporting, operations, testing, and auditing. By the end of this book, you’ll have developed an understanding of the processes and tools involved in enforcing security controls and implementing zero-trust security principles to protect Windows systems.

Who is this book for?

If you're a cybersecurity or technology professional, solutions architect, systems engineer, systems administrator, or anyone interested in learning how to secure the latest Windows-based systems, this book is for you. A basic understanding of Windows security concepts, Intune, Configuration Manager, Windows PowerShell, and Microsoft Azure will help you get the best out of this book.

What you will learn

  • Build a multi-layered security approach using zero-trust concepts
  • Explore best practices to implement security baselines successfully
  • Get to grips with virtualization and networking to harden your devices
  • Discover the importance of identity and access management
  • Explore Windows device administration and remote management
  • Become an expert in hardening your Windows infrastructure
  • Audit, assess, and test to ensure controls are successfully applied and enforced
  • Monitor and report activities to stay on top of vulnerabilities

Product Details

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Publication date : Aug 19, 2022
Length: 816 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781803248745
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Product Details

Publication date : Aug 19, 2022
Length: 816 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781803248745
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Table of Contents

20 Chapters
Part 1: Getting Started and Fundamentals Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Windows Security Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 2: Building a Baseline Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 3: Hardware and Virtualization Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 4: Networking Fundamentals for Hardening Windows Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 5: Identity and Access Management Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Part 2: Applying Security and Hardening Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 6: Administration and Policy Management Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 7: Deploying Windows Securely Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 8: Keeping Your Windows Client Secure Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 9: Advanced Hardening for Windows Clients Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 10: Mitigating Common Attack Vectors Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 11: Server Infrastructure Management Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 12: Keeping Your Windows Server Secure Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Part 3: Protecting, Detecting, and Responding for Windows Environments Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 13: Security Monitoring and Reporting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 14: Security Operations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 15: Testing and Auditing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Chapter 16: Top 10 Recommendations and the Future Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.8
(20 Ratings)
5 star 90%
4 star 5%
3 star 0%
2 star 5%
1 star 0%
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N/A Feb 19, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Feefo Verified review Feefo
Jeffrey McCrae Nov 30, 2022
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
The book is an awesome road map for the protection of Windows severs against cyber threats!!!!!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
D Parton Mar 14, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Haven’t read the whole book but seems to cover most things related to MS windows security and can be used to refer to things when your thinking about implementing things such as windows hardening including the use of MS defender and intune. Would recommend
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Ravi Apr 09, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I had the privilege of receiving Mastering Windows Security and Hardening authored by Mark Dunkerley and Matt Tumbarello, graciously provided for review by Packt Publishing. This comprehensive work demonstrates an adept handling of technical intricacies, guiding readers from the foundational stages of Baselining their Windows Environment to the more nuanced realms of Hardware and Virtualization.The authors delves deeply into hardware certification and advancements in hardware security, along with an exhaustive exploration of virtualization-based security concepts. The meticulous examination extends to critical components such as BIOS, UEFI, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot, ensuring a thorough understanding essential for Windows Endpoint Architecture and Administration.Transitioning seamlessly, the book traverses Networking Fundamentals, elucidating on Network Security and Hardening, and delves into Identity & Access Management. Here, readers encounter detailed discussions on account and access management, authentication protocols, multifactor authentication (MFA), passwordless authentication, conditional-based access controls, and identity protection mechanisms.The narrative further escalates with advanced insights into Mitigating Common Attack Vectors, dissecting prevalent attack methodologies employed by threat actors to infiltrate networks and propagate laterally. Notably, Chapter 12 scrutinizes Windows Server Security, introducing server roles and illuminating the security-centric features inherent in Windows Server 2022.Concluding with a summary of recommendations and best practices, the book furnishes indispensable insights for Windows Environment Architects and Administrators, facilitating the evolution of their infrastructure towards robust security paradigms, including the principles of Zero Trust.This book serves as an invaluable companion for navigating the intricacies of Microsoft Enterprise E5 (comprising Intune licensing, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Windows Enterprise) and Enterprise Mobility + Security E3/E5 with Azure AD P2, particularly in managing the formidable challenges of Identity & Access Management.In sum, I wholeheartedly endorse this book as an indispensable resource, offering a pragmatic roadmap for Windows Infrastructure Administrators and Architects to cultivate a resilient and secure ecosystem.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Anslem John Mar 16, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book is an invaluable resource for system administrators responsible for managing Windows environments. It comprehensively addresses every aspect of Windows security. Beginning with an analysis of the current threat landscape and how breaches occur, it proceeds to discuss the establishment of security baselines and operational best practices, emphasizing their significance.Moreover, the book delves into securing the environment at various levels, including hardware, virtualization, and networking. It extends its coverage to safeguarding clients and cloud components. For any Sys Admin's library, this book is indispensable. I wholeheartedly endorse it.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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