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1.
Clearing the Page File at Shutdown
Windows 2000/XP paging file (Sometimes called the Swap File) can contain
sensitive information such as plaintext passwords. Someone capable of
accessing your system could scan that file and find its information. You can
force windows to clear out this file.
In the registry navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession
ManagerMemory Management and add or edit the DWORD ClearPageFileAtShutdown.
Set it to 1.
Note that when you do this, the system will take much longer to shut down: a
system with a really big Page File (! Gig or more) may take a minute or two
longer.
2. Disable the POSIX and OS/2 Subsystem.
Windows 2000 and XP come with little-documented
subsystems it at allow compatibility with UNIX and OS/2 systems These rues
systems are enabled by default but so rarely used that they are best off bring
disabled completely to prevent possible service hijackings.
To disable these subsystems, open the registry and navigate to HKEY LOCAL
MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerSubSystems. Delete the
subkeys Os2 and Posix. then reboot.
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3. Never leave default passwords blank.
On installation, Windows 2000 sets up an Administrator account with total system access and
prompts for a password. Guess what: by default, it allows that password to
be blank. If a user doesn't want to type a password, he can simply click
Next and the system will be an open door for anyone who wants to log on.
Always opt for a password of some kind when setting up the default account
on a machine.
4. Disable the Guest account
Windows XP comes with a Guest account that's used for limited
access, but it's still possible to do some damage with it. Disable it
completely if you are not using it. Under Control Panel, select User
Accounts, click on Guest Account and then select Turn Off the Guest Account.
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5.
Install Windows In a different directory.
Windows usually installs itself in the WINDOWS directory. Windows
NT
4 0 and 2000 Will opt for WINNT. Many worms and other rogue programs assume
this to be the case and attempt to exploit those folders files. To defeat
this install Windows to another directory when you're setting it up - you can
specify the name of the directory during setup. WINDIR is okay; so some
people use WNDWS - A few (not that many) programs may not install properly if
you install Windows to another folder but t hey are very few and they are far
between
6. Fake out hackers with a dummy Administrator account
Since the default account in Windows 2000 is always named Administrator, an
enterprising hacker can try to break into your system by attempting to guess
the password on that account. It you never bothered to put a password on that
account, say your prayers.
Rather than be a sucker to a hacker, put a password on the Administrator
account it you haven't done so already. Then change the name of the
Administrator account. You'll still be able to use the account under its new
name, since Windows identifies user accounts by a back-end ID number rather
than the name. Finally, create a new account named Administrator and disable
it. This should frustrate any would -be break-ins.
You can add new accounts and change the names of existing accounts in Windows
2000 through the Local Users and Groups snap in. Right-click on My Computer,
select Manager, open the Local Users and Groups subtree, look in the Users
folder and right-click on any name to rename it. To add a new user,
right-click on the containing folder and select New User. Finally, to disable
an account, double-click it, check the Account is disabled box and click OK.
Don't ever delete the original Administrator account. Some programs refuse to
install without it and you might have to log in under that account at some
point to setup such software. The original
Administrator account is configured with a security ID that must continue to
be present in the system.
7. Set the Hosts file to read-only to prevent name hijacking.
This
one's from (and to a degree, for) the experts. The HOSTS file is a text file
that all flavors of Windows use to hold certain network addresses that never
change. When a network name and address is placed in HOSTS, the computer uses
the address listed there for that network name rather than performing a
lookup (which can take time). Experts edit this file to place their most
commonly-visited sites into it, speeding things up considerably.
Unfortunately hijackers and hackers also love to put their own information
into it - redirecting people from their favorite sites to places they don't
want to go. One of the most common entries in HOSTS is local host which is
set 1770.0.1. This refers to the local machine and if this entry is damaged
the computer can behave very unpredictably.
To prevent HOSTS from being hijacked, set it to read-only. Go to the folder
%Systemroot%system32driversetc, right-click on HOSTS, select Properties check
the Read-Only box and click OK. If you want to add your own entries to HOSTS,
you can unprotect it before doing so, but always remember to set it to
read-only after you're done.
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8. Turn off unneeded Services
Windows 2000 and XP both come with many background services that don't need
to he running most of the time: Alerter, Messenger, Server (If
you're running a standalone machine with no file or printer shares),
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing, Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (the
last two if you're not using Remote Desktop or NetMeeting), Remote
Registry, Routing and Remote Access (if you're not
using Remote Access), SSDP Discovery Service, Telnet, and Universal Plug
and Play Device Host.
A good resource and instruction on which of these services can be disabled
go to /http://www.blkviper.com/WinXP/
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9.
Disallow changes to IE settings through IE
This is another anti hijacker tip. IE can be set so that any changes to its
settings must be performed through the Internet icon in the Control Panel,
rather than through IE's own interface. Some particularly unscrupulous
programs or sites try to tamper with setting by accessing the Tools, Options
menu in IE. You can disable this and still make changes to IE's settings
through the Control Panel.
Open the Registry and browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER
SoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet ExplorerRestrictions. Create or edit a new
DWORD value named NoBrowserUptions and set it to 1 (this is a per-user
setting). Some third-party programs such as Spybot Search And Destroy allow
you to toggle this setting.
You can also keep IE from having other programs rename its default startup
page, another particularly annoying form of hijacking. Browse to HKEY.CURRENT
USERSoftwarePolicies MicrosoftInternet ExploreControl Panel and add or edit a
DWORD, Homepage and set it to 1.
10. Disable simple File Shares.
In Windows XP Professional, the Simple File Sharing mode is easily exploited,
since it抯 a little too easy to share out a
file across your LAN (or the NET at large). To turn it off, go m My Computer,
click Tools, Folder Option and the View tab, and uncheck Use Simple file
sharing (Recommended). Click OK. When you do this you can access the Security
tab in the Properties window for all folders; set permissions for folders;
and take ownership of objects (but not in XP Home)
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