Windows Server 2016: Configuring Password And Audit Policies, DNS, WSUS, NTFS Permissions, DHCP

Password and Audit Policies

Password and audit policies are important for securing the confidentiality of information and the integrity of systems by preventing the access of any unauthorised users to the computer systems. The practice of password policies vary from user to user but the purpose for using the password is same (Stiawan et al., 2016).

The implementation of audit policies is important for helping in identifying the errors in configuration, troubleshooting any kind of disruptions in service, conduct analysis of occurred compromises and detect attacks (Tulloch & Team, 2013).

Configuring password policies in windows server 2016

Stage 1: windows key needs to be pressed and control panel has to be typed

Stage 2: select administrative tools and then choose local security policy

Stage 3: New windows pops up after completing stage 2. Click account policies and the click on password policy (Mistry & Misner, 2014).

Configuring audit policies in windows server 2016

Stage 1: On the server that is audited, the snap-in of Local Security Policy needs to be opened: direct to Start, then Windows Administrative Tools (Windows Server 2016), then to Local Security Policy (Sundar & Kumar, 2016)

Stage 2: Direct to Security Settings, then Local policies, and then Audit Policy

Name of policy	Audit events
Audit account management	“Success”
Audit policy change	“Success”
Audit object access	“Success”

The various aspects related to Windows Server 2016 are:

DNS policies: the configuration of DNS policies can be accomplished for specifying the actions following which any DNS server responds to the queries of DNS. The responses of DNS can be on the basis of the IP address of client, time of day, and various parameters (Minasi et al., 2013).

A record is commonly used in any system of DNS. An “A record” is basically a record of address that maps a FQDN to any IP address.

Commands in the DNS server are used to perform a particular function.

A zone of DNS is the portion of namespace of DNS, which is managed by any specific organisation or any administrator. This is an administrative space that allows the granular control of the components of DNS, such as the authoritative nameservers.

Installing DNS server

Stage 1: The dashboard of the server manager needs to be opened

Stage 2: Click on the Add roles and features

Stage 3: Pre-requirements needs to be read followed by clicking the “next” button

Stage 4: Installation that is based on feature or based on role and “Next” option has to be clicked.

Stage 5: Destination server needs to be chosen for the role of DNS and then click on “next”

Stage 6: DNS server needs to be chosen from the roles of server. When the role is chosen, new        window will pop up. Click on “Add features”.

Stage 7: The Next button needs to be clicked through the rest of the pages and then the installation process is completed.

Configuring a DNS server on Windows Server 2016

Creation of Forward Lookup Zone

Stage 1: The dashboard of server manager needs to be opened

Stage 2: Click on “DNS” from “Tools”

Stage 3: In the console of manager of DNS, the server of DNS needs to be expanded. Then Right-click on the Forward Lookup Zones.

Configuring password policies in windows server 2016

Stage 4: Click “New Zone”

Stage 5: Click on “next”.

Stage 6: Primary zone has to be chosen and then uncheck the “Stored the zone in AD”.

Stage 7: The name of the zone needs to be provided and then click on next.

Stage 8: Choose “Create a new file with this” option and then click on “next”

Stage 9: Choose “Do not allow dynamic updates”

Stage 10: Click on “finish”

Adding host record in Forward Lookup Zone

Stage 1: Open the DNS manager console and then right-click on the forward lookup zone for host record creation.

Stage 2: Select New Host (A or AAAA)

Stage 3: Name needs to be provided (this will form the FQDN in form of help.mydomain.com), and the IP address

Stage 4: Select ‘Add host’ and the process is successful.

WSUS or Windows Server Update Services

WSUS or Windows Server Update Services is a computer program that is created by the Microsoft Corporation, which supports the administrators in managing update distribution and the hotfix release for the Microsoft products. The detection function in the WSUS provides a report of the updates that are available for every machine (Gandhi & Kumbharana, 2014).

 Windows Defender

Windows defender provides the anti-spyware protection for protecting from any kind of spyware. It also offers the real-time protection that is designed for blocking any kind of spyware detected on the system during rooting (Bittman et al., 2013). The ominous Microsoft SpyNet offers the protection from any kind of cloud malware.

Benefits of NTFS permissions

The main benefit of the permissions of NTFS are that these permissions effect both the local users and the users of network and these are based on the permissions that are allowed to any individual user at Windows logon, regardless of any connection done by the user (Stanek, 2013). Permissions of NTFS are of two types, which are “Allow” or “Deny”.

Risk of file sharing on a network

Increase in insecurity: File sharing on any network creates the opportunity of security breaches.

Breach of copyright laws: This is the practice of taking the ideas of other people and then making it their own. This leads to the loss of significant amount of revenue and several other problems.

Loss of privacy: When any file is shared over a network, the confidentiality of the data is endangered and it can create several issues to the users.

Aspects of DHCP

The DHCP is a protocol for client/server, which spontaneously offers a host of IP (Internet Protocol) with the IP address and with several additional information that are configuration related like subnet mask and default gateway. The required configuration information of the TCP/IP is obtained by the help of DHCP from a server of DHCP. Windows server 2016 involves server of DHCP, which is a role of networking server that is optional, which can be deployed on the network for leasing IP addresses and several other information for the clients of DHCP (Finn et al., 2013).

A scope is the IP address range that can be leased to the clients of DHCP on any provided subnet. The scopes are situated in any database of configuration of a server and they are identified by the names that are configured by the administrator when the scope was created.

Configuring audit policies in windows server 2016

The command ‘dhcpd’ is used for managing the server of DHCP in windows server 2016. The parameters are provided by using the console with the prefix “dhcpd”.

Installing and configuration of DHCP server in Windows Server 2016

Stage 1: Console of Server Manager needs to be opened.

Stage 2: Choose Next for starting the wizard of Role and Feature

Stage 3: Select the installation that is based on feature or role and then click on Next.

Stage 4: Select which server the configuration of DHCP is needed to be done and then click Next.

Stage 5: Server roles are needed to be selected from DHCP. Chose “DHCP”, when new window appears. Then click on “Add features”.

Stage 6: Choose “next”. Then enable the DHCP server then “Next” option needs to be clicked.

Stage 7: Read explanation about function of DHCP. Click on Next.

Stage 8: Click on “Install”.

Stage 9: Choose “Complete DHCP configuration”.

Stage 10: Select Next for continuing with the Post-install wizard of DHCP.

Stage 11: Click on commit.

Stage 12: Click on Close and the configuration is complete

Windows containers are the abstracted, portable and isolated environments of operation that are supported by the operating systems of Microsoft Windows Server 2016 and are managed with tools like PowerShell and Docker.

Installation and deployment process of Containers

Stage 1: Launch a console of Administrative PowerShell on the host

Stage 2: Run the command: wget –uri https://aka.ms/newcontainerhost -OutFile New-ContainerHost.ps1

Stage 3: Run the following command for deploying container host: .New-ContainerHost.ps1 –VmName <containerhost> -Password <password>

Stage 4: Type Y and hit enter

Stage 5: when the download is completed, rest of the configuration starts automatically

Stage 6: Connect to newly created container host with the password that is supplied in the beginning of the process

Stage 7: Launch powershell and utilise the Get-WindowsFeature command for noticing additional features that are marked as removed.

References

Bittman, T. J., Weiss, G. J., Margevicius, M. A., & Dawson, P. (2013). Magic quadrant for x86 server virtualization infrastructure. Gartner, June.

Fayyad-Kazan, H., Perneel, L., & Timmerman, M. (2013). Benchmarking the performance of Microsoft Hyper-V server, VMware ESXi and Xen hypervisors. Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences, 4(12), 922-933.

Finn, A., Lownds, P., Luescher, M., & Flynn, D. (2013). Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Installation and Configuration Guide. John Wiley & Sons.

Gandhi, V. A., & Kumbharana, C. K. (2014). Comparative study of Amazon EC2 and Microsoft Azure cloud architecture. International Journal of Advanced Networking & Applications, 117-123.

Minasi, M., Greene, K., Booth, C., Butler, R., McCabe, J., Panek, R., … & Roth, S. (2013). Mastering Windows Server 2012 R2. John Wiley & Sons.

Mistry, R., & Misner, S. (2014). Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2014. Microsoft Press.

Stanek, W. (2013). Windows Server 2012 inside out. Pearson Education.

Stiawan, D., Idris, M. Y. B., Abdullah, A. H., AlQurashi, M., & Budiarto, R. (2016). Penetration Testing and Mitigation of Vulnerabilities Windows Server. IJ Network Security, 18(3), 501-513.

Sundar, K., & Kumar, S. (2016). Blue Screen of Death Observed for Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 under DDoS Security Attack. Journal of Information Security, 7(04), 225.

Tulloch, M., & Team, W. S. (2013). Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2. Microsoft press.