Chapter 9 - MCSA/MCSE 70-291: Security Templates and Software Updates

Abstract

With each passing day, new security threats and system vulnerabilities are discovered, and, with their discovery, so do new security patches and hot fixes to apply. The security configuration and analysis management console provides a utility for testing baseline security settings and a method for applying a consistent security configuration to machines throughout the enterprise. The software update service (SUS) provides a mechanism to consistently apply hot fixes and updates to all Microsoft systems in one's enterprise. When used together, the security configuration and analysis management console and the SUS are intended to reduce administrative overhead while providing consistent application of current security settings to all Microsoft-based machines in the network. With the release of service pack 4 (SP 4) for Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft introduced a new security configuration tool to ease the administration of one's Windows NT network. The release of the NT 4.0 service pack 4 CD introduced the security configuration manager (SCM). The SCM is a product originally designed for Windows NT 5.0—now known as Windows 2000. With the release of Windows Server 2003, Microsoft continues to expand on the functionality of the SCM with the security and configuration analysis management console. The security configuration and analysis management console provides a tool for configuring, comparing, and applying security templates.