June 2007

Security:Inside Windows Vista User Account Control

User Account Control, or UAC, is one of the most misunderstood new features in Windows Vista. But its goal—to enable users to run with standard user rights—can solve many security issues. Get an inside look at the problems UAC is designed to address and see exactly how this new feature works. Mark Russinovich

Security:Keys to Protecting Data with BitLocker Drive Encryption

BitLocker serves two very important purposes: it provides both full-volume data encryption and a way to validate the integrity of early startup components before Windows Vista starts. Get an overview of how BitLocker works and see how it can help you protect your organization. Byron Hynes

Security:Exploring The Windows Firewall

Mobility has changed computer threats and the techniques that guard against them. As laptops wander outside the perimeter and come back to the network, you need better ways to protect your systems. Find out how you can use Windows Firewall to protect your computers—on the Internet and on your own internal network. Steve Riley

Security:New ACLs Improve Security in Windows Vista

While ACLs haven’t had a major overhaul, there are a number of important changes you need to know about when managing ACLs in a Windows Vista environment. Discover how 30 ACLs have changed to improve security, find out how they will impact your organization, and learn how to manage these changes in your infrastructure. Jesper M. Johansson

Security:Managing Hardware Restrictions via Group Policy

USB thumb-disk keys and other removable devices can make your personal life easier but your professional life harder. For improved security, you need a way to control what hardware devices your users are installing on their work systems. Now you can use Group Policy to control which devices they can use and which ones they can’t. Jeremy Moskowitz

Security:4 Security Technologies Every IT Organization Must Have

Most businesses share similar security issues. In today’s connected world, there are four general types of security tools that every organization absolutely must have. Find out what these tools are and explore how the technologies involved may work together in the future to create the ideal security solution. Matt Clapham and Todd Thompson

Security:A Powerful New Tool for Certificate Management

Certificates are a key component in your infrastructure— when one expires, productivity can come to a halt. If you rely on a Microsoft PKI environment, the new Identity Lifecycle Manager Certificate Management (ILM-CM) solution can help keep things running smoothly. Find out how this tool can help you improve authentication processes and reduce certificate management costs. Kevin Dallmann

Toolbox:New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen

SQL Q&A:64-Bit Installations, Allocating Cluster Memory, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell

Utility Spotlight:Script Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista

While User Account Control offers an important improvement in security, the ability to elevate permissions is essential for accomplishing certain administrative tasks and functions. Here are some Elevation PowerToys that make elevation more flexible and powerful. Michael Murgolo

The Cable Guy:The Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol

The VPN protocols in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 don’t work for some configurations. Get an in depth look at the various issues and see how Windows Server “Longhorn” and Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 will use the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol to solve these problems. Joseph Davies

Windows PowerShell:Working with Active Directory

Windows PowerShell doesn't provide a Get-ADSIObject cmdlet, but that doesn't prevent it from ogffering strong ADSI support. Get an introduction to type adapters and learn how you can use Windows PowerShell to work with directiory objects. Don Jones

Hey, Scripting Guy!:Scripting Around the Squiggly Red Line

Looking for an easier way to add terms to the Microsoft Word dictionary without doing it by hand, one word at a time? Who isn't? This month, the Scripting Guys show you how to create custom dictionaries in Microsoft Word, and how to programmatically configure Word to use those dictionaries. The Microsoft Scripting Guys

The Desktop Files:How Not to Lose Your Data

It’s surprising how often important data is lost. But the reality is that information is lost because people fail to protect it. Explore the important steps you can and must take to secure your organization's data. Wes Miller

Field Notes:Talk to Your Developers

Getting developers to build more manageable applications is easier than you think. It all starts with communication. Developers see software differently than administrators. But by talking to developers, administrators can explain what is important to them and developers can do a better job designing code accordingly. David Aiken

Windows Confidential:What New Users See on the Start Menu

Imagine buying a new computer, firing up Windows, clicking the Start button, and seeing a blank menu. There's a reason why the Start menu includes applications in the most frequently used spot before you've used anything--to provide a good out-of-box experience. Find out how these apps are chosen. Raymond Chen

Letters:Answers to Your Questions

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb978519(v=msdn.10)
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc135917(v=msdn.10)

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