Category Archives: Windows 7
Posted in Group Policy, Least Privilege, Privilege Guard, User Account Control (UAC), Windows 7
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Who’s in Charge of User Account Control?
Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Report (SIR) v10, published in May this year, revealed figures that show Windows 7 is the company’s most secure operating system, reporting that the OS suffered fewer security incidents per 1000 computers than any other supported version … Continue reading
Posted in Desktop Lockdown, Least Privilege, Windows 7
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What’s the incentive to secure your desktop systems?
Desktop security may seem to have little to do with an organization’s profit and loss, share prices and overall bottom line, but going beyond antivirus protection can have a significant impact on productivity, total cost of ownership and IT support … Continue reading
Posted in Desktop Lockdown, Least Privilege, Windows 7
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Do Users Really Know Best?
The consumerisation of IT has become a fashionable catch phrase over the past few years as some companies choose to give employees the option to decide what hardware and software they use at work. Schemes have been set up, such … Continue reading
Posted in Application Control, AppLocker, Windows 7
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Configure Application Whitelisting for Citrix GoToMeeting
One of the comments I receive most frequently from attendees of my Least Privilege webinar is that web conferencing software, such as Citrix’s popular GoToMeeting, prevents IT departments moving forward with least privilege on the desktop. This kind of software … Continue reading
Posted in User Account Control (UAC), Windows 7
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Windows 7 sees Increase in Malware Infection Rate
Windows XP is deemed ‘good enough’ by many, but the fact is that it’s four to five times more vulnerable to malware infection than Windows 7. While this is mainly due to improved security defences, including least privilege security implemented … Continue reading
Posted in Privilege Guard, User Account Control (UAC), Windows 7, Windows Security Catalogs
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Privilege Guard 2.7 and Enhanced UAC Integration
Privilege Guard first introduced UAC (User Account Control) integration in version 2.5, which enables rules to be defined that trigger when an application requires administrator privileges in order to run. Further enhancements to the UAC rule in version 2.7 now … Continue reading
Posted in Least Privilege, Windows 7
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Installing Device Drivers as a Standard User on Windows 7
One of the most common reasons cited for granting administrative privileges to notebook users on Windows is the need to install drivers for new hardware when IT support isn’t available. Happily, Windows 7 has improved driver handling and it’s likely … Continue reading
Posted in Desktop Lockdown, Privilege Guard, Windows 7
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The Least Risk Windows 7 Desktop
As we begin 2011 this will be the year that many companies will look to move from pilot to production with Windows 7. The migration to Windows 7 is an ideal opportunity to assess the security posture of the corporate … Continue reading
Posted in Application Control, AppLocker, Desktop Lockdown, Group Policy, Windows 7
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The Pros and Cons of Windows 7 Application Control with AppLocker
Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise editions ship with AppLocker, which is a Group Policy based application control solution. AppLocker is a big improvement over Software Restriction Policies, as it provides a more flexible and intuitive solution to its predecessor. AppLocker … Continue reading
Posted in Least Privilege, Privilege Guard, User Account Control (UAC), Windows 7
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10 Reasons to use Privilege Guard over UAC
As many organizations look to migrate to Windows 7, it is an opportune time to review user privileges. User Account Control (UAC) was introduced by Microsoft in Windows Vista, and it has remained much the same in Windows 7, albeit … Continue reading
