Security Guide For Small Business

Security Guide for Small Business

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From the ASBDC

Dear Small Business Owner:

More small businesses today use networks and the Internet as vital business
tools than ever before. While connectivity is indispensable for achieving
business success, being more connected also means being more vulnerable to
outside threats. Larger companies have security experts at their disposal, but
small business owners must make their own decisions about how to secure
their networks.

Therefore, I am delighted to introduce the Security Guide for Small Business—
a security guide developed by the Microsoft Small Business Team. This guide
does an excellent job of explaining why security is important to your business
and outlining steps that you can take to improve the security of your network.
These steps are not overly difficult, expensive, or beyond the ability of those
savvy enough to be running their own businesses.

Sincerely,

Donald Wilson
President & CEO
Association of Small Business Development Centers

Small Business Development Centers

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network is a partnership program
uniting private enterprise, government, higher education, and local nonprofit
economic development organizations. The SBDC network is the U.S. Small Business
Administration’s largest economic development program, utilizing federal, state,
and private funds to provide management and technical assistance to help
Americans start, run, and grow their own businesses. With nearly 1,000 centers
across the nation, the SBDC program meets the in-depth counseling and training
needs of more than 650,000 small businesses annually in face-to-face counseling
and training events. The SBDCs across the country are represented by the
Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). To learn more about
the ASBDC, visit www.asbdc-us.org

Microsoft Small Business Center

Microsoft Small Business Center is an online resource designed specifically to
address the needs of small businesses by demystifying technology and helping
small business owners get the most out of their software. To learn more, visit
www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/

From the Microsoft Small Business Team

Dear Small Business Owner:

New security issues such as viruses, hackers, and worms come to light in news
articles every day and underline the importance of taking preventative measures.
These are serious threats with serious consequences. Yet, many small businesses
have not taken the steps to safeguard their businesses. In some cases, it’s a
matter of limited resources. But, in most cases, small business owners are simply
unclear as to what steps they should take or even where to start.

The Security Guide for Small Business explains what you need to do to
improve the security of your business. It was written expressly for the small
business owner, not the computer guru, and breaks down the major security
threats that your business faces. While subjects do involve technical details, we
present the issues in everyday language and provide additional details for
deeper discovery.

The Microsoft Small Business Team, in partnership with the ASBDC, is delighted
to bring you the Security Guide for Small Business to help you secure your
business. Start implementing some of these best practices in your business
today.

Sincerely,

Cindy Bates
General Manager, US Small Business
Microsoft Corporation

Contents

1 Is This Guide Right for You?

2 What You Need to Know About Security

11 Finding the Right Consultant

14 10 Questions to Help Protect Your Business

17 Microsoft Windows® XP Service Pack 2

20 Seven Steps to Better Security

20 Step 1: Protect Your Desktops and Laptops

27 Step 2: Keep Your Data Safe

31 Step 3: Use the Internet Safely

33 Step 4: Protect Your Network

37 Step 5: Protect Your Servers

40 Step 6: Secure Line-of-Business Applications

44 Step 7: Manage Computers from a Server

46 Creating a Security Policy

49 Creating a Security Plan

52 Sample Security Plan: Adventure Works

63 Information Online

Is This Guide Right for You?

Computer and online security is a growing concern for
businesses of all sizes. Computer security issues range from
viruses to automated Internet attacks to outright theft, the
result of which is lost information and lost time. Security issues
pop up in news articles every day, and most small business
owners understand that they should take steps to better secure
their businesses. Increasing security can seem complicated,
though, and it’s often difficult to figure out where to start. This
guide helps answer those questions.

If you own a small business or are responsible for directing the
computing and security policies for a small business, this guide
is written with you in mind. While the subjects covered in this
guide are sometimes technical, we try to present the issues
in everyday language and then show you where you can find
more technical information when you need it.

This guide breaks down the major security threats that your
business faces and features a quiz that introduces concepts to
help shape the way you think about your own security
practices. You’ll find a checklist you can follow to increase
security (see the sidebar, “Seven Steps to Better Security,” for a
quick review of these steps, and read the section, “Seven Steps
to Better Security,” later in this guide for a detailed look at the
checklist) and advice for creating a comprehensive security
plan of your own. We have even included a sample security
plan for a fictitious company named Adventure Works.

While many of the steps Seven Steps to Better Security
outlined in this guide are steps 1. Protect Your Desktops and Laptops
that you can take yourself, 2. Keep Your Data Safe
don’t be afraid to ask for 3. Use the Internet Safely
4. Protect Your Network
professional support if you 5. Protect Your Servers
need it. Many qualified 6. Secure Your Line-of-Business
technology and security Applications
7. Manage Computers from the Server
consultants are available to
help. Be sure to read the
section, “Finding the Right Consultant,” for information about
where to look and what questions to ask.

1 Is This Guide Right for You?

What You Need to Know About Security

To understand the threats that exist and how to mitigate them, you
need to know some technical stuff. Don’t worry—we’ll keep it to a
minimum.

Many small business owners believe that they do not need to
worry much about computer and online security. “After all,” they
reason, “who would want to target my business when there are so
many bigger targets out there?” While it’s true that small
businesses are not directly attacked as often as larger organizations,
there are three reasons why small
businesses should be concerned:

• Small businesses often end up affected
by larger attacks, such as mass worm
ooutbreaks or efforts to harvest credit card
numbers.
• Security is becoming tighter than ever
at larger companies, so small business
networks look increasingly tempting to
attackers.
• Not all security threats come from
outside your organization.

Regardless of how or why your business is attacked, recovery
usually takes significant time and effort. Imagine if your computer
systems were unavailable for a week. Imagine if you lost all the
data stored on all the computers in your company. Imagine if your
biggest competitor was able to obtain a list of your customers
along with sales figures and sales notes. How long would it take
before you noticed? What would these breaches cost your
company? Could you afford these losses?

It seems like common sense. You wouldn’t leave your building
unlocked at night. The same is true with information security, and
a few simple steps can make you a lot less vulnerable. Technology
experts have a way of making basic security seem like a huge and
difficult issue. Luckily, securing your business is easier than you
might think.

Of course, there is no way to guarantee 100 percent security.

What You Need to Know About Security 2

However, you can achieve a high level of security and be prepared
in case breaches happen. Properly weighing risks and
consequences against the cost of prevention is a good place to
start. This section provides an overview of some common
computer networking and security-related terms to help demystify
the world of computer security.

Networks, Internets, and the Internet
One computer on its own is a beautiful thing—a technical
marvel. But it’s good to communicate. Link two or more computers
together using network cards and cables (or a wireless setup) and
you have a local area network (LAN). All the computers on the
network can share data and e-mail as well as access shared
resources like printers, modems, or broadband Internet
connections. Link two or more LANs together and you have a wide
area network (WAN). For example, you might link two ofﬁces in
different locations with a dedicated leased line.

An internet (note the small “i”) is a network of networks.
Information from any computer in any given network can travel
over the internet to any computer on any other network, with the
internet acting as a sort of common carrier. Think of an internet as
a highway system that links local roads.

The Internet (note the capital “I”) is a global internet. All computers on
the Internet communicate using standard protocols so that
information from any computer on the Internet can reach any
other computer on the Internet. Here is where the trouble occurs.
Until you connect with a
public network, you are Did You Know?
reasonably safe from Internet-related fraud was the subject of
external threats. Hooking 55 percent of the more than half-million
up to the public Internet is complaints ﬁled in 2003, up from 45
percent a year earlier, according to the
like publishing your name, Federal Trade Commission. The median
address, and phone number loss for victims of Internet-related fraud
and saying, “Hey, look: We was $195.
have computers here.”


Packets
Information typically travels across networks in packets.
A packet is a chunk of data plus an address and other
information that tells the network where to deliver that data.
Everything going over the Internet is broken down into
packets: Web pages, e-mail messages, downloads, everything.
Think of it like taking a circus on the road. You can’t take the
whole circus in one vehicle. You have to break it up, package
it into separate vehicles, tell each vehicle where it’s going, and
put the circus back together when all the vehicles arrive at
their destination. Data traveling over a network works like this,
too. Big data is broken down into a series of packets and
reassembled at the destination. As packets travel over the
Internet, they are effectively exposed to eavesdropping by
the public.

Ports and Addresses
Each computer on a network is assigned a unique number
called an IP address. The IP address uniquely defines that
computer on the network and provides directions for packets
to reach their destinations. IP addresses work much like street
addresses. Part of the address identifies the network segment
of the destination computer, and part of the address identifies
the actual computer.

While an IP address refers to a computer and the network on
which that computer exists, the individual applications on that
computer must also be identifiable. Think of this setup like an
apartment number attached to the street address: the street
address denotes the apartment building, and the apartment
number denotes the actual apartment. The IP address denotes
the computer, and the port number denotes the program
on that computer. Each program on a computer that must
send and receive data over the network is assigned a special
port number. When packets of information are received at a


particular port, the computer knows which application gets the
packet. For example, port 80 is the port for Web servers (which
host the websites you use your Web browser to explore), and
port 25 is the port that is used to send e-mail. Packets are
addressed to a specific port at a specific IP address.

Firewalls
A firewall separates
one portion of a
network from
another and allows
only authorized
network traffic to
pass through. On a
small business
network, a firewall
typically separates
the local private
network from the
Internet. Some
firewalls examine
the packets that Figure 1. A firewall allows network traffic from
flow in and possibly valid users (the green line) to pass through to
out of the network your network but blocks traffic from intruders
(the red line).
to make sure that
they are legitimate;
firewalls can also filter out suspicious packets. Firewalls hide the
identities of computers within your private network to make
it harder for criminal hackers to target individual computers
(Figure 1).

Servers
A server is really just another computer attached to a network
that is designated to perform some special function, such as
share a printer, store files, or deliver Web pages. Remember
that if your laptop or desktop computer is connected to the
Internet, it is also a kind of server and, without a firewall, is
capable of receiving unwanted traffic from the Internet.


Common Security Threats Against
Networks
Attackers have different motivations—profit, mischievousness,
glory—but they all work in similar ways. Several basic threats
exist, all of which are capable of infinite variation.

Spam. Spam, or
Did You Know? unsolicited commercial
Each day, Microsoft filters out over e-mail messages, wastes
three billion spam messages and bandwidth and time. The
protects the inboxes of over 200 sheer volume of it can be
million users worldwide.
overwhelming, and it can
be a vehicle for viruses.
Much of it is of an explicit sexual nature, which in some cases
can create an uncomfortable work environment and,
potentially, legal liabilities if companies do not take steps to
stop it.

Spoofing. A couple of kinds of spoofing exist. IP spoofing
means creating packets that look as though they have come
from a different IP address. This technique is used primarily in
one-way attacks (such as denial of service, or DoS, attacks). If
packets appear to come from a computer on the local network,
it is possible for them to pass through firewall security (which
is designed to protect against outside threats). IP spoofing
attacks are difficult to detect and require the skill and means
to monitor and analyze data packets. E-mail spoofing means
forging an e-mail message so that the From address does not
indicate the true address of the sender. For example, a round
of hoax e-mail messages circulated the Internet in late 2003
that were made to look as though they carried a notice of
official security updates from Microsoft by employing a fake
Microsoft e-mail address. Dozens of industry leaders, including
Microsoft, have co-developed a technology called the Sender
ID Framework (SIDF) that helps to counter e-mail spoofing and
phishing by validating that messages come from the mail
servers they claim to come from.


Phishing. Phishing is
Did You Know?
increasingly becoming a
tactic of choice for In June 2004, the Gartner Group
hackers and organized reported that online bank accounts had
been looted of $2.4 billion just in the
crime. Typically, an previous 12 months. It estimated that 1.98
attacker sends an e-mail million adults had suffered losses. Much
message that looks very of the problem was traced to malicious
programs that surreptitiously collect
much like it comes from passwords and other confidential data.
an official source (such as “Phishing” schemes also were used.
eBay or Microsoft). Links
in the message take you to a website that also looks like the
real thing. However, the site is just a front, and the goal of the
scam is to trick you into giving away personal information,
sometimes for spam lists, sometimes so that the perpetrators
can steal your account information or even your identity. The
victims of these scams are not only the users who may divulge
personal and confidential information, but also the spoofed
business’ brand and reputation.

Viruses. Viruses are programs designed to replicate themselves
and potentially cause harmful actions. They are often hidden
inside innocuous programs. Viruses in e-mail messages often
masquerade as games or pictures and use beguiling subjects
(for example, “My girlfriend nude”) to encourage users to open
and run them. Viruses try to replicate themselves by infecting
other programs on your computer.

Worms. Worms are like viruses in that they try to replicate
themselves, but they are often able to do so by sending out
e-mail messages themselves rather than simply infecting
programs on a single computer.

Trojan horses. These malicious programs pretend to be benign
applications. They don’t replicate like viruses and worms but
can still cause considerable harm. Often, viruses or worms are
smuggled inside a Trojan horse.


Spyware. Spyware refers to
Did You Know? small, hidden programs that
According to the National Cyber run on your computer and
Security Alliance, 62 percent of are used for everything from
computer users have not updated tracking your online activities
their antivirus software, and a
staggering 91 percent in the study to allowing intruders to
have spyware on their monitor and access your
computers that can cause computer. You might be the
extremely slow performance,
excessive pop-up ads, or hijacked target of spyware or other
home pages. unwanted software if you
download music from
file-sharing programs, free games from sites you don’t trust, or
other software from an unknown source.

Tampering. Tampering consists of altering the contents of packets
as they travel over the Internet or altering data on computer disks
after a network has been penetrated. For example, an attacker
might place a tap on a network line to intercept packets as they
leave your establishment. The attacker could eavesdrop or alter the
information as it leaves your network.

Repudiation. Repudiation refers to a user’s ability to falsely deny
having performed an action that other parties cannot disprove.
For example, a user who deleted a file can successfully deny doing
so if no mechanism (such as audit records) can prove otherwise.

Information disclosure. Information disclosure consists of the
exposure of information to individuals who normally would not
have access to it. For example, a user on your network might make
certain files accessible over the network that should not be shared.
Employees also tend to share important information, such as
passwords, with people who should not have them.

Denial of Service. DoS attacks are computerized assaults launched
by an attacker in an attempt to overload or halt a network service,
such as a Web server or a file server. For example, an attack may
cause a server to become so busy attempting to respond that it
ignores legitimate requests for connections.


Elevation of privilege. Elevation of privilege is a process by
which a user misleads a system into granting unauthorized
rights, usually for the purpose of compromising or destroying
the system. For example, an attacker might log on to a
network by using a guest account, then exploit a weakness in
the software that lets the attacker change the guest privileges
to administrative privileges.

Pirated software. The use of counterfeit software is
widespread. In some parts of Asia and the former Soviet Union,
at least 90 percent of the software used is counterfeit. Even
in the United States, an estimated 25 percent of software is
counterfeit. While the low prices of counterfeit software can be
attractive, such software comes
with a potentially much higher Did You Know?
price: Counterfeit software can
contain bugs and viruses and Earthlink, the Atlanta-based
Internet Service Provider, said
is illegal. Genuine Microsoft in April 2004 that it had found
software provides up-to-date 370,000 Trojan horses and system
protection against hackers and monitors on the 1.6 million
computers it had studied. If
e-mail viruses, plus improved Earthlink’s numbers hold up for
system recovery tools. You can all computers, up to 35 percent
learn more about genuine are compromised.
Microsoft software by visiting
www.microsoft.com/genuine/small_business.px?displaylang=en

Most attackers use the processing power of computers as their
weapon. They might use a virus to spread a DoS program to
thousands of computers. They might use a password-guessing
program to try every word in the dictionary as a password. Of
course, the first passwords they check are “password,” “letmein,”
“opensesame,” and a password that is the same as the username.

Attackers have programs that randomly probe every IP address
on the Internet looking for unprotected systems and, when
they find one, have port scanners to see whether any ports are
open for attack. If these attackers find an open port, they have
a library of known vulnerabilities they can use to try to gain
access. For more deliberate attacks, such as industrial


espionage, a combination of technology and social engineering
is most effective. For example, inducing members of your staff to
reveal confidential information, rifling through trash in search of
revealing information, or simply looking for passwords written on
notes by monitors are all options.

Why Software Is Vulnerable
Software developers do not set out to write unsafe programs.
For example, a typical operating system is the product of tens
of thousands of hours of work and consists of millions of lines
of code. A simple bug or oversight can provide an unexpected
backdoor into an otherwise secure system. It is impossible to
write bug-free software. Of course, that doesn’t mean developers
should give up trying to do so.

Then there are the bad guys. Bank robber Willie Sutton once
said, “I rob banks because that’s where the money is.” It’s the
same with software. The more successful and widespread a piece
of software is, the more likely attackers are to target it. There is a
continual struggle between attackers exploiting weaknesses and
developers seeking to eliminate those weaknesses. It’s the same
with locksmiths and burglars, and with alarm manufacturers and
car thieves. This is why software developers release updates that
fix known vulnerabilities and why you should install those
updates. (For information about securing computers, see the
section, “Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2.”)

The Importance of Software Updates

According to the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report published in
September 2004, it takes on average 5.8 days after a software vendor announces a
vulnerability for criminal hackers to take advantage of the discovery. You should
apply software updates as soon as possible when they are announced. You should
use the Automatic Updates feature in Microsoft Windows XP to download and
install updates automatically and also make sure that your antivirus software is
updated regularly. Consider signing up for Microsoft Security Update e-mail
bulletins, a free service you can learn more about at
www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/alerts.mspx


Finding the Right Consultant

Most small businesses do not have dedicated technology staff.
Hiring a consultant can help you determine the security solution
that is right for your business. Finding the right consultant can be
trying, but good support makes technology easier to manage and
ensures that you get the best possible advice and implementation.

Where Do You Start?
Ask your colleagues,
suppliers, and peers whom
they use. Ask your local
Chamber of Commerce or
SBDC for their input.

What Are You
Looking For?
If you are not already
working with a partner,
look for someone who can
help you now and in the
long term. Look for
evidence of the ability to
grow and develop as a
company and support
businesses bigger than yours. The following checklists can help
you select the right company.

Experience
• Does the consulting group have a Certiﬁed Information
Systems Security Professional (CISSP) engineer on staff? If
they have a CISSP on staff, you should feel good about the
consultant’s level of security expertise.
• Do they have a CompTIA Security+ Certiﬁcation?
CompTIA Security+ measures industry-standard knowledge
and competencies for managing information security.


• Does the consulting group have a Microsoft Certified
System Engineer (MCSE) or Microsoft Certified Systems
Administrator (MCSA) on staff? MCSEs are specialized in
understanding how to design, implement, and administer
security for a Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003-based
network. MCSAs specialize in understanding how to
administer network environments.
• How long has the consulting group been in business
and how many customers do they have? Are they willing
to provide a list of customers you can talk to about the
group’s services?

Services
• Which of the following security services does the
consulting group provide?
a) Antivirus installation and support
b) Hardening servers (i.e., ensuring that all system
settings are at the appropriate level of security)
c) Hardening desktop computers
d) Firewall installation, configuration, and support
e) Intrusion detection
• Do they provide security audits? On which operating
systems?
• Do they provide 24×7 remote or on-site security support?
• What levels of support will they provide? Look for a service
level agreement that sets out how quickly they will respond
to problems and the level of after-sales support they offer.
• Can they provide or recommend reputable trainers?

Finding the Right Consultant 12

• Will they be able to grow with you in the future?

Approach
• Does the consultant apply consistent patterns and practices
in its operations? Ask to see an outline of its process.
• Can they commit to a specific schedule and budget for a
given project?
• Will they be able to do the work with their own staff, or will
they have to subcontract?
• What is their fee structure? Depending on the project, it is
possible to agree on a flat fee, an hourly or daily rate, or an
ongoing retainer. Are they willing to break down their cost
structure and allocate costs to different stages or activities?
You want accurate, exact, and precise information before any
work is commissioned.
• How do they approach documentation? They should
supply you with a proposal for the work, including a budget, a
timetable, and a reasonable specification. The proposal should
be in plain English.
• If their proposal is satisfactory, you should have a written
contract specifying what is going to be done and by whom.
Make sure to include dates, deadlines, equipment, costs, and
so on. Even if you do not have a formal contract drawn up by
attorneys, make sure that the details of the work are written
down and agreed to in some form.

Where To Go Next
To find a Microsoft Small Business Partner, use these steps:

1. Visit the Microsoft Small Business Partner Finder website:
www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/partner/vendorsearch.mspx
2. Enter your zip code and desired proximity.
3. Check out those partners who offer security solutions.


10 Questions to Help Protect Your Business

Take our security quiz and find out how much you know—or
don’t know—about important security issues that can have an
impact on your business.

1. Which of the following actions will not help you to secure
desktop computers?
a. Turn on Automatic Updates
b. Turn on Windows Firewall
c. Install antivirus software
d. Open e-mail attachments from an unknown sender

2. Which of the following is an example of a strong
password?
a. Password
b. J*p2le04>F
c. My dog has fleas!
d. Your real name, username, or company name

3. True or false: If you have a perimeter firewall on your
network, you don’t need to turn on Windows Firewall.
a. True
b. False

4. How can you prevent intruders from accessing your
wireless network?
a. Encrypt network traffic with Wi-Fi Protected Access
(WPA) or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
b. Restrict access to trusted Media Access Control (MAC)
addresses
c. Both

5. True or false: If you set antivirus software for
auto-updates, you don’t need to enable Windows
Automatic Updates.
a. True
b. False

10 Questions to Help Protect Your Business 14

6. True or false: Small businesses are not targets for hackers.
a. True
b. False

7. What is phishing?
a. “Spoofed” e-mail messages and websites that fool
recipients into divulging personal information
b. A type of computer virus
c. An example of a strong password
d. None of the above

8. What product can you use to update all the computers
on your network?
a. Windows Update Services (WUS)
b. Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)
c. Bluetooth Networking
d. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA)

9. What method(s) can you
use to protect sensitive
data from prying eyes?
a. Passwords
b. File permissions
c. Encryption
d. All of the above

10. How often should you
perform an incremental
backup?
a. Daily
b. Every other day
c. Weekly
d. Monthly

15 10 Questions to Help Protect Your Business

Answers to the security quiz appear below. If you didn’t answer all
the questions correctly, refer to the section “Seven Steps to Better
Security” to learn more about security issues that concern small
businesses.
1. d. You should use Automatic Updates, antivirus software,
and Windows Firewall. You should never open e-mail
attachments from an unknown source.
2. b and c. A strong password has a mixture of different
character types. Passphrases make very secure passwords.
3. b. False. You should use a perimeter firewall and a local
firewall, like Windows Firewall.
4. c. Both. You should encrypt your network and limit access.
5. b. False. Automatically updating your antivirus
software does not also automatically update the Windows
operating system. You should also enable the Windows
Automatic Updates feature.
6. b. False. Small businesses are often direct targets of attacks
and can also be affected by attacks on larger companies.
7. a. Spoofed e-mail messages and fraudulent websites
are designed to fool recipients into divulging personal
financial data, such as credit card numbers, account
usernames, and passwords.
8. a. WUS. WUS provides a solution to the problem of
managing and distributing critical Windows updates that
resolve known security vulnerabilities and other stability
issues in the Windows operating systems.
9. d. All of the above. You can protect sensitive data by using
strong passwords, assigning file permissions, and enabling
encryption.
10. a. Daily. An incremental backup includes all data that has
changed since the last backup. You should perform an
incremental backup daily if you are using this method as
part of your backup solution.

10 Questions to Help Protect Your Business 16

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) is a free upgrade for
computers running Windows XP that includes every security
update Microsoft has issued for this operating system and
provides several significant security enhancements.

As part of a major effort to
Small Business Spotlight: W&E
increase the security of Baum:
desktop computers, Microsoft
has released an update to “The installation of Windows XP
Service Pack 2 (SP2) was fast and
Windows XP named Windows easy. When we rolled out Windows
XP SP2. As with all Windows XP Service Pack 1, it took about
service packs, SP2 includes 30 minutes, or $75 per computer.
The SP2 rollout required just 5
the critical updates released minutes per computer, reducing
for Windows XP to date. SP2 our implementation costs by about
also includes a large number 95 percent.”
of new enhancements to
Windows XP—enhancements aimed at increasing the default
level of security for your operating system.

Automatic Updates
An important part of helping to keep Windows XP secure is
keeping it up to date with the latest software updates that
Microsoft has released. Automatic Updates can locate critical
and security updates, download them, and install them
automatically. SP2 provides several enhancements to the
Automatic Updates feature in Windows XP, including the ability
to download more categories of updates, better bandwidth
management, and consolidation of updates so that less user
input is required.

Windows Firewall
In the original release of Windows XP, the software-based
firewall included with the operating system was named Internet
Connection Firewall. With the release of SP2, this firewall has
been renamed Windows Firewall and adds several new features.
The updates include enabling Windows Firewall by default on
all network connections, improving the user interface,

17 Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

improving application compatibility when Windows Firewall
is on, and providing a way to configure global settings for all
network connections.

Internet Explorer
Security enhancements to Microsoft Internet Explorer provide
improved protection against malicious content on the Web
and also provide interface enhancements that make
configuring security easier. A new Information Bar consolidates
many of the dialog boxes Internet Explorer uses to provide
information to users. Internet Explorer now includes a built-in
pop-up window blocker as well as a feature called Manage
Add-ons that lets you disable the scripting capabilities that
allow rogue sites to hijack Internet Explorer and force you to
go to their sites.

Outlook Express
SP2 also provides security enhancements for users of the
Microsoft Outlook® Express e-mail program. You can block
external content from being automatically downloaded and
displayed in HTML-formatted messages and even configure
Outlook Express to display messages only in plain text format.
You can also block potentially unsafe attachments that are sent
through e-mail messages, and instant messages are isolated so
that they cannot affect other parts of the system.

Wireless Support
A new interface in SP2 makes it easier to find a wireless
network by telling you what networks are available, their
strength, and their type of security. You can easily move
between networks, if necessary. The Wireless Network Setup
Wizard makes establishing a wireless network virtually painless.
Furthermore, new wizards step you through configuring
security features for your wireless network, whether you use
the old WEP or the new, much stronger, WPA.

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 18

Security Center
Security Center is a new feature that provides a central interface
showing the status of security conﬁgurations on a computer,
including settings for Automatic Updates, Windows Firewall, and
some non-Microsoft antivirus software. Security Center also runs
as a background service and provides real-time alerts when certain
security conditions are detected. Armed with the enhanced
security technologies that SP2 provides, you will experience a
more secure desktop environment than ever before. For more
information and to ﬁnd out how you can get Windows XP SP2 at
no cost, visit www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx

19 Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

Seven Steps to Better Security

This section outlines the basic security measures that every
company should take to help protect itself. Refer to the section
“What You Need to Know About Security” for information about
anything that seems too technical, or speak with an information
technology (IT) or security consultant. These steps assume that you
have a security policy and security plan in place. For an example of
a security policy and security plan, see the section “Sample Security
Plan: Adventure Works.”

Step 1 Protect Your Desktops and Laptops

If you take only three precautions to help safeguard the computers
you use in your business, make them the following:

• Update your software.
• Help protect against viruses.
• Set up firewalls.

Taking these actions won’t keep you completely safe from security
threats and productivity loss, but together they give you a
powerful first line of defense.

Update Your Software
Criminal hackers like to find and exploit bugs and loopholes in
popular software products. Some do it for money, some to make a
statement, and some simply to cause trouble. And they can cause
trouble—exposing customer credit card numbers on a website or
stealing passwords in a computer. The impact on a business can be
fatal.

Basic steps you can take

When Microsoft or any other software company discovers a
vulnerability in its software, it typically releases an update that
can be downloaded over the Internet. The update “patches” the
loophole or bug to keep hackers from causing trouble. Over time,

Seven Steps to Better Security 20

however, software products have become more secure.
For example, Microsoft Windows XP Professional is inherently
more secure than Microsoft Windows 95. Windows XP
Professional with SP2 provides even stronger security settings that
help defend against hackers, viruses, and worms. But that doesn’t
negate the importance of downloading and installing appropriate
updates as soon as they are released.

Manually install updates for Windows

• Windows XP Professional: What Version of Windows Do I Have?
Go to the Windows
Update website (http:// If you are unsure which version of
windowsupdate.microsoft. Windows you are running, it’s easy to
com), and then click Scan ﬁnd out. Microsoft provides an online
for Updates. The website tool that can determine your version of
Windows (including any Service Packs
automatically analyzes installed). Just use these steps:
your computer,
determines which updates 1. Go to
you need, and then makes www.microsoft.com/protect/
2. Click the “Find out which version of
them available for Windows your computer is using”
download. To make the link at the bottom of the page.
update process easier,
enable the Automatic You can also determine your Windows
Updates feature. With this version manually (and without going
online) by using the following steps:
feature, Windows XP
Professional can monitor 1. Click Start, and then click Run.
for, download, and install 2. In the Run dialog box, type winver,
updates automatically and then click OK.
3. In the About Windows dialog box
(depending on the that appears, look for the installed
settings you select). version of Windows and any
Service Packs that are installed.
• Windows 2000:
If you’re running
Microsoft Windows 2000 as part of a domain or as a
standalone computer, visit the Windows Update website
(http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com), where you will find
the latest service packs, device drivers, application-
compatibility information, and system security updates. In a
domain environment, server computers running Microsoft
Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 manage the
security for all resources on the network.


• Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows NT®, and Windows 95:
Older versions of Windows, such as Microsoft Windows Me or
Windows 98, are much less secure than newer versions.
Microsoft strongly encourages upgrading to newer versions of
Windows to ensure the highest level of security.

Automatically download and install updates on a computer
running Windows XP Professional

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click System.
3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Automatic
Updates tab (Figure 2).
4. Select the Automatic (recommended) option.
5. From the drop-down lists, select the day and time each day to
download and install updates.
6. Click Apply, and then click OK.

You can also keep current
with security updates for
Microsoft Office. These
updates and other
downloadable add-ins
are available by going to
the Office Update website
(http://office.microsoft.
com) and clicking Check
for Updates.

Help Protect
Against Viruses

Viruses, as well as worms
and Trojan horses, are
Figure 2. Set up your computer to download
malicious programs that
and install updates automatically. run on your computer.
Some viruses delete or
change files. Others
consume computer


resources. Some allow outsiders access to your files. Viruses
can replicate, or copy, themselves, even send themselves to
e-mail addresses in a contacts list. Virus-infected computers
can spread the virus throughout your company and cause
serious downtime and data loss. You also risk infecting the
computers of clients and customers you communicate with via
e-mail.

Did You Know?
You should have antivirus A survey conducted by America
protection on all your Online found that 20 percent of
computers. Antivirus software home computers were infected
by a virus or worm and that
works by scanning the contents of various forms of snooping
incoming e-mail messages (and programs are on 80 percent of
files already on your computer) computers. Despite that, more
than two-thirds of home users
to detect virus signatures. If the think they are safe from online
software finds a virus, the software threats.
deletes or quarantines it.

Install antivirus software

Because hundreds of viruses are released each month, all
antivirus software must be updated regularly with the latest
signature definitions so that the software can catch the latest
viruses. Look for software that automatically downloads the
latest definitions and programs from the Internet. (If your
company uses laptop computers, see the sidebar “Taking
Special Care of Laptop Computers” on page 26.) Here are links
to antivirus programs from some of the better-known security
software makers:
• AVG Anti-Virus: www.grisoft.com/
• Norton AntiVirus: www.symantec.com/smallbiz/nav/
• McAfee VirusScan: www.mcafee.com/
• Panda Titanium Antivirus: www.pandasoftware.com/
• BitDefender: www.bitdefender.com/
• Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool:
visit www.microsoft.com/downloads/ and type
“Malicious Software Removal Tool” into the Search box


Never open suspicious files

Make sure everyone in your company understands that they
should delete—without opening—any e-mail attachments from
an unknown, suspicious, or untrustworthy source.

Help Protect Your Inbox
Microsoft has developed SmartScreen™ technologies that are
integrated into many Microsoft products, including MSN®
Hotmail, Microsoft Exchange Server, and Microsoft Office
Outlook® 2003. These products have settings that help detect and
eliminate unwanted e-mail. Look into upgrading to these
programs if you don’t use them already.

To set junk e-mail options in Office Outlook 2003, use these steps:

1. In Office
Outlook 2003,
click the Actions
menu.
2. Select Junk
E-mail, and then
click Junk E-Mail
Options.
3. On the Junk
E-mail Options
dialog box,
select the level
of junk e-mail
protection you
want from the
list of choices
(Figure 3).
4. Click Apply,
Figure 3. Enable junk e-mail filtering in Office
and then click
Outlook 2003. OK.


Office Outlook 2003 makes available (free of charge) monthly
updates to its junk e-mail filter. Users are advised to download
these updates routinely to help counter new deceptive e-mail
tactics. To learn more about the security and spam-blocking
features in Office Outlook 2003, visit the Office Outlook 2003
Web page:
www.microsoft.com/office/editions/prodinfo/junkmail.mspx

For Junk Mail Filter updates, visit
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/ and click
Downloads for Office 2003.

To upgrade to Outlook Express 6.0, download and install
Internet Explorer 6.0 from the Office 2003 Downloads Web page:
www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/enthusiast/videos/email.mspx

To learn more about viruses, read the article “7 things to know
about virus writers” at www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/
issues/technology/security/7_things_to_know_about_virus_
writers.mspx

Set Up Firewalls
If you have an always-on broadband connection, chances are
that your company’s computer network is randomly probed by
criminal hackers. When intruders stumble on a valid computer
address, they try to exploit vulnerabilities in software to gain
access to your network—and ultimately individual machines.


Like a moat around a castle, a firewall can block intruders from
gaining access to your private network. There are two basic types
of firewalls:

• Perimeter firewalls. These firewalls block all traffic between
the Internet and your network that isn’t explicitly allowed.
For example, you may want to configure the firewall to
accept certain kinds of e-mail and Web traffic but reject all


other types of traffic. Firewalls can also hide the addresses of
the computers behind your firewall, making individual
computers on your network invisible to the outside. A firewall
may be integrated into a router or DSL/cable modem or a
software product like Microsoft Internet Security and Acceler-
Acceleration (ISA) Server.

• Local firewalls. Local firewalls must be installed on each
computer. The Windows Firewall in Windows XP SP2 is
enabled by default, which means that, by default, all the
connections—including LAN (wired and wireless), dial-up, and
Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections—are protected.

Taking Special Care of Laptop Computers

Laptop computers are a tempting target because they are easy to steal and
to sell. Think of it as leaving a pile of cash equal to the cost of the laptop just
lying around. Besides the hassle and cost of replacement, there is the risk that a
stolen laptop computer contains hard-to-replace or confidential information. If
you use a laptop computer, consider these special precautions:

• Use a strong password. Make sure you shut down the laptop computer
when it is unattended.
• Keep the laptop computer within sight, particularly in crowded
public areas like train stations and airport security checkpoints, but also at
meetings and conferences.
• Keep your laptop computer in your carry-on luggage, and don’t leave
it in hotel baggage-hold rooms. Don’t carry laptop computers in cases
stamped with a manufacturer’s logo or in cases that look too much like a
laptop case.
• Keep a record of your laptop computer’s serial number and all the
software or accessories you use.
• Back up all the work stored on your laptop computer before a trip and, if
possible, continue to make backups of work you do on the road. Sending
new documents home by e-mail is one way to do this.
• Use the Encrypting File System (EFS) to secure confidential files. For
advice on this process, see Microsoft support article 223316, “Best
Practices for the Encrypting File System,” at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;223316


If your computers are not running Windows XP, you can
purchase a commercial local firewall. The following software
vendors sell commercial firewall software:
• ZoneLabs (www.zonelabs.com)
• McAfee (www.mcafee.com)
• Symantec (www.symantec.com)

Read More About It
• For articles from Microsoft about securing desktop and
laptop computers, visit the Microsoft Security website:
www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/securityguidance/
checklist/default.mspx
• If you are not using Windows XP Professional with SP2,
you can find information on alternative software-based
local firewalls at www.mcafee.com, www.symantec.com, or
www.zonelabs.com
• For information about the different types of firewalls
available and for technical details about how firewalls
work, read the information on Microsoft TechNet at
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/topics/network/
firewall.mspx
• For information about spyware, visit www.microsoft.com/
athome/security/spyware/default.mspx
• For an excellent introduction to the world of criminal
hackers, including interviews and useful background
reading, visit www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/
hackers/

Step 2 Keep Your Data Safe

Implementing a regular backup procedure is a simple way
to help safeguard critical business data. Setting permissions
and using encryption will also help. Much of the misfortune
that small businesses experience can be blamed on outside


forces—a poor economy, a natural disaster, a decision by a key
employee to leave. It’s no surprise that those who survive the
down times are typically those who minimized their risks by
taking basic precautions. One of the most basic precautions of
all is protecting critical business data.

Just imagine walking into your office one morning and
discovering that all your sales records, customer contact
information, and order history had disappeared. How long
would it take you to recover? How much disruption and delay
would occur? What would it cost you?

Data loss can and does happen. It can result from hardware
failure, flood, fire, security breach, or just an accidental deletion
of an important file. Whatever the cause, taking precautions
to reduce the impact is like an insurance policy, enabling your
business to get back up and running quickly.

Basic Steps You Can Take
There are numerous ways to help safeguard your critical
business data, but these three methods will get you started.

Implement a procedure to back up critical data

Backing up data means making a copy of it on another
medium. For example, you might burn all your important
files onto a CD-ROM, a second hard drive, or a shared folder
on your network. There are two basic kinds of backups: a full
backup and an incremental backup. A full backup makes a
complete copy of the selected data onto another medium.
An incremental backup backs up just the data that has been
added or changed since the last full backup. You should also
keep copies of backups at a secure offsite location.

A full backup augmented by incremental backups is generally
quicker and takes less storage space. You might consider a
policy of running a full backup on a weekly basis, followed by
daily incremental backups. However, when you want to restore


data after a crash, this method will take longer because you
ﬁrst have to restore the full backup, then each incremental
backup. If such a process is a concern, another option is to
run a full backup nightly; just automate it to run after-hours
(Figure 4).

Test your backups frequently by actually restoring data to a test
location. In this way, you can:
• Ensure backup media and backed-up data are in good
shape.
• Identify problems in the restoration process.
• Provide a level of conﬁdence that will be useful during an
actual crisis.

Establish permissions

Both your desktop and server operating systems can provide
protection against data loss resulting from employee activities.

Figure 4. Back up critical data and test the backups by restoring them.


With Windows XP and Windows 2000—as well as Microsoft
Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003, Windows Server
2003, and Windows 2000 Server—it is possible to assign users
different permission levels based on their roles and
responsibilities within your organization. Rather than giving
all users Administrator access—which is not a best practice for
maintaining a secure environment—institute a “least privilege”
policy by configuring your servers to give individual users
access to specific programs only and specifically defining user
privileges.

Encrypt sensitive data

Encrypting data means that you convert it into a form that
disguises the data. Encryption is used to ensure the
confidentiality and integrity of the data when the data is
stored or moved across a network. Only authorized users who
have the tools to decrypt encrypted files can access these
files. Encryption complements other access control methods
and provides an added level of protection for securing data
on computers that may be vulnerable to theft, such as mobile
computers or files shared on a network. Windows XP and Small
Business Server 2003 support Encrypting File System (EFS) to
encrypt files and folders. Together, these three practices should
provide the level of protection most businesses require to keep
their data safe.

Why You Should Test Your Backups

Erik was the managing director of a growing architectural firm. With 30
employees and several multinational clients, the company relied on its e-mail
system to keep in touch and to track client requests. Then, one afternoon, the
e-mail server had a catastrophic hardware failure, and the data became
corrupted.

“No problem,” thought Erik, “our support guy has a backup, so we can just
restore it from that.” In fact, the company had an elaborate tape library and
dutifully kept offsite copies of its critical backups. It was only after a day’s work
of trying to restore the e-mail system from the backup tapes that they realized
the data hadn’t been properly backed up. They had never noticed the problem
and had never tested to see whether restoring the data worked properly. They
did not have any kind of disaster recovery plan in place.


Read More About It
• For articles from Microsoft about keeping data safe, visit www.
microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/securityguidance/checklist/
default.mspx
• For more information about how to use Microsoft Backup,
go to www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/
maintain/backup.asp

Step 3 Use the Internet Safely
Unscrupulous websites, as well as pop-ups and animations, can be
dangerous. Set rules about Internet usage to protect your
business—and your employees.

If your business doesn’t have a policy on Internet use, it should.
Though the Web can be an incredibly useful workplace tool, it
can also cause significant workplace havoc that can result in lost
productivity. Setting some rules protects your business and your
employees.

Why Your Business Is at Risk
Web pages contain programs that are usually innocent and
sometimes helpful—for instance, animations and pop-up menus.
But there are questionable, even malicious websites that have their
own agenda, and it’s not always in your best interest to browse
them. When you’re surfing the Web, site operators can identify
your computer on the Internet, tell which page you came from,
use cookies to profile you, and install spyware on your computer—
all without your knowledge. Destructive worms can also enter your
system through your Web browser.

Beyond malicious activities instigated by outsiders, businesses can
be put in a vulnerable position by employees who engage in
illegal or undesirable Web activity during work hours and on
company-owned computers.


What Your Internet Policy Should Include
When creating a company-wide Internet-use policy, address the
following issues:
• Whether employees are allowed to browse the Web for personal use
as well as business purposes
• When employees can use the Web for personal use (for example,
lunch hours, after hours)
• If and how the company monitors Web use and what level of privacy
employees can expect
• Web activity that is not allowed. Spell out unacceptable behavior in
detail. In many companies this behavior includes activities such as:
- Offensive content downloads
- Threatening or violent behavior
- Commercial solicitations (non-business related)
- Other illegal activities

Provide two copies of the policy to employees—one for them to keep
and another for them to sign and return to you. (For more information,
see the section “Creating a Security Policy,” later in this guide.)

Tips for Safe Browsing

In addition to having a policy, the following recommendations can also
help promote safe Web browsing:

• Go to trusted sites only.
• Don’t use work computers for idle browsing.
• Never browse websites from a server. Always use a desktop or laptop
computer.
• Do not allow websites to install programs unless you trust the
website and are sure of what the program does.
• Use a firewall or a router. Doing so allows you to filter Web
addresses and block Internet traffic to and from dangerous sites.
• Consider Web-filtering software. Companies such as Websense and
Secure Computing offer products that filter Internet use based on a
variety of criteria.


Read More About It
• For articles from Microsoft about using the Internet safely,
visit www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/security
guidance/checklist/default.mspx
• For Web-filtering software, visit www.microsoft.com/spam,
www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/default.mspx,
www.securecomputing.com and www.websense.com
• To research possible hoaxes, visit
www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
• For more information about combating spyware, visit
www.microsoft.com/spyware/
• To implement the Sender ID Framework to
protect your domain name from e-mail forgery, visit
www.microsoft.com/senderid/

Step 4 Protect Your Network

Remote access to your network may be a business necessity,
but it is also a security risk you need to monitor closely. Use
strong passwords and be especially cautious about wireless
networks.

Nobody likes to think the worst—that around every corner
someone is snooping into your business affairs. But if your
company operates either a wired or wireless network and has
information that you would like to keep confidential, a little
paranoia will serve you well.

Here are four basic measures that can help reduce your
network security fears.

Set up firewalls

A firewall controls access to and from your network or


computer, blocking intruders from accessing your private
network and controlling what your employees can access
outside your network. Perimeter firewalls protect all the
computers on your network. They also offer an additional layer
of defense because they can effectively make all your network
computers “invisible” to the outside world.

Use strong passwords

Most small businesses use passwords to authenticate identity,
whether on computers, cash registers, or alarm systems.
Although more sophisticated authentication systems exist, such
as smart cards and fingerprint or iris scans, passwords are most
common because they are easy to use. Unfortunately, they are
also easily misused. Hackers have automated tools that help
them crack simple passwords in minutes. Crooks may also use
fraud to get employees to divulge passwords.

Too often, passwords are not
Did You Know?
effective for these reasons:
According to studies at Michigan
• Sensitive documents
State University and elsewhere,
have not been password-
up to 70 percent of identity
protected, allowing anyone
thefts are conducted by insiders
to walk up to an unsecured
or people posing as insiders.
computer and log on.
Strong passwords help protect
against this kind of threat.
• Passwords are weak or are
never changed.

• Passwords are written down in plain sight.

Educating your staff about the importance of passwords is the
first step in making passwords a valuable network security tool.
Employees should regard their passwords the same way they
would an office key. In other words, don’t leave it lying around
and don’t share it. Employees should also avoid weak and
easy-to-guess passwords that include the following:


• Their real name, username, or company name
• A common dictionary word that makes them vulnerable
to “dictionary attacks,” in which a program attempts to
use words found in a dictionary to log on to a system
• Common passwords, such as “password,” “letmein,” or
“1234”
• Commonly known letter substitutions, such as replacing “i”
with “!” or “s” with “$”
• A password that someone else knows
• Using no password at all, which makes it easy for other
employees to just walk up to an unsecured computer and
log on
• Any password that they write down

What does a strong password look like? It should have the
following characteristics:

• Be at least eight characters long (the longer, the better)
• Have a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters,
numbers, and symbols
• Be changed at least every 90 days and, when changed,
should be signiﬁcantly different from previous passwords

Of course, a password you can’t remember is no use at all.
There are some tricks that can make strong passwords more
memorable:

• In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, you can use a
passphrase such as “I had 5 chicken tacos for lunch.”
• You could also pick a phrase, then use only the ﬁrst
character of every word, such as Msi5Yold! (My Son is 5
years old!).
• Another trick is to take short, simple words and join
them together with numbers and symbols (for example,
Tree+34+Pond).


Use wireless security features

Wireless networks use a radio link instead of cables to connect
computers. As a result, anyone within radio range can theoretically
listen in or transmit data on the network. Freely available tools
allow intruders to “sniff” for insecure networks. While vulnerability
increases with a wireless network, computer-savvy crooks have
tools to help them break into all types of computer systems.

Security features are built into Wi-Fi products, but manufacturers
often turn the features off by default to make network setup easier.
If you use wireless networking, make sure you turn the security
features on and use the security and access features that will make
your network more secure.

Also consider these tips:

• Restrict wireless access (if your wireless network provides this
feature) to office hours or whenever you expect to use the
network.
• Filter out casual intruders by setting access points to
restrict network access to specific computers.
• Use the encryption built into your wireless access point to
encode information as it travels across the network and
prevent any non-authorized party from reading or changing
data.

War Driving

Anyone with a laptop computer, an inexpensive wireless network card, freely
downloaded software, and an antenna made from something as simple as a
can of potato chips can hack into wireless networks.

Most wireless networks are completely unsecured. Indeed, many
manufacturers of wireless devices leave encryption turned off by default.
Users tend not to enable wireless encryption or use any other added security
measures, making it a relatively easy task for anyone with a wireless setup to
find and exploit the connection. War driving is more than a geek prank. Some
intruders seek to access files and damage systems. Fortunately, securing a
wireless network is relatively easy, and the majority of war drivers can be
deterred or deflected by a few simple steps.


Close unnecessary network ports

Network traffic for various applications are identified using
numbered ports. In order for an application’s traffic to get
through a firewall, the firewall must allow traffic on that port.
To strengthen your network’s security against unauthorized
access, close unused or unnecessary ports by using perimeter
firewalls, local firewalls, or Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)
filters. But a word of caution: Microsoft server products use a
variety of numbered network ports and protocols to
communicate with client and server systems. Blocking ports
that the Microsoft Windows Server System™ uses may
prevent a server from responding to legitimate client requests,
which could mean the server won’t function properly, if at all.

Read More About It
• For articles from Microsoft about protecting your
network, visit www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/
securityguidance/checklist/default.mspx
• To configure a password policy in Windows Server 2003
(or Small Business Server 2003), go to www.microsoft.
com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/proddocs/
standard/password_grouppolicy.asp
• For information about mobilizing your business, visit www.
microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/mobilize/hub.mspx

Step 5 Protect Your Servers

If you think of your servers as your network’s command center,
it’s easy to understand why keeping them safe from attack is
mission-critical. When your servers are compromised, your
entire network is at risk. While some server attacks are merely
annoying, others can cause serious damage.

If you have a small business, you may not have more than one
or two servers. But no matter how few or how many servers


your business is running, your network relies on them. They
serve the applications, Web pages, or e-mail that your team
needs to do their jobs. They store valuable and conﬁdential
information resources. They provide a means for your
customers to communicate with you, perhaps even purchase
goods or services from you.

So, if your servers are down, you lose productivity, you
jeopardize customer relationships, and you may even take an
economic hit.

Many of the procedures already discussed will help protect
your servers, too. If you haven’t yet taken the steps already
outlined in this guide, make them a priority. Even if you have
already addressed the security measures discussed to this point,
you can do still more to protect your servers.

Keep your servers in a safe place

Businesses must make sure that their servers are not vulnerable
to physical calamities. Locate these machines in a locked,
well-ventilated room, not in a hallway or under a desk. Servers
should never be used as workstations. Your server room should
have no windows and a single door you can lock. Server cases
should also be locked to prevent tampering with internal
components. Know which employees have keys to the server
room. You should also keep a record of the serial numbers of your
servers and mark the machines with your company information
so that they can be identiﬁed and recovered if stolen.

Practice least privilege

The principle of least privilege dictates that users should be
given only the permissions they need to do their jobs, but
no more permissions than that. With Windows 2000 Server,
Windows Server 2003, and Small Business Server 2003, it is
possible to assign users different permission levels to local and


network resources. Rather than giving all users Administrator
access—which is not a best practice for maintaining a secure
environment for workstations or servers—you should use your
servers to manage client computers. Windows servers can be
configured to give individual users access to specific programs
only and to define which user privileges are allowed on the
server. In this way, you ensure that users can’t make changes in
areas that are critical to server or workstation operation. It also
prevents users from installing software that may introduce a
virus or spyware to their computers, which in turn can
compromise the integrity of your entire network.

Understand your security options

Today’s server operating systems are more secure than ever,
but the powerful security settings you find in Windows Server
System products are good only if they are used appropriately
and monitored aggressively. If your team doesn’t have an IT
specialist or expertise in security issues, consider hiring an
outside consultant to help appropriately protect your servers.

Read More About It

• For articles about protecting your servers, visit the
Security Guidance Center for Small Business at
hub.mspx
• For information about Windows Server 2003 or Small
Business Server 2003, visit www.microsoft.com/server/
You can also find information about using servers on your
network in the Networking Basics for Small Businesses
guide, available at www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/
gtm/encomm/freetrial.mspx


Step 6 Secure Line-of-Business Applications

Make sure that software critical to your business operations is fully
secure. Internal and external vulnerabilities can lead to lost
productivity—or worse. Many companies rely on specialized business
programs for accounting tasks, running point-of-sale systems, tracking
inventory, and managing supply chains. These programs—sometimes
dubbed line-of-business (LOB) applications—typically run on a server
and operate in conjunction with a database. This integrated setup
offers great advantages. Multiple employees can work with an LOB
program and access the database information—all at the same time.

Understand Your Business Requirements

No matter what kind of business you operate, it is important for you to take
the security precautions covered in this guide. In some businesses, however,
government regulations, insurance policies, and special agreements require that
you take extra precautions.

• Government regulations may require that you take extra steps to secure
the information your business collects. For example, healthcare providers
are regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA), which guards against the misuse of personally identifiable health
information and limits the sharing of that information. Specifically, you
must guard patient information against unauthorized access, alteration,
deletion, and transmission. HIPAA compliance is increasingly important as
more patient data is transmitted between health care institutions.

• Insurance policies, especially business liability policies, may require specific
steps for ensuring the security of data on your computers. Some policies
even go so far as to dictate the equipment and procedures that must be
in place.

• Special agreements include contracts such as terms of service agreements,
which often cover the privacy guarantees you provide to your clients, and
non-disclosure agreements, which prevent you from sharing confidential
information collected from clients.

When you create a security policy and security plan for your business, make
sure you review any regulations, insurance policies, or agreements that may
affect you.


For example, a salesperson could use the program to record her
sales numbers while a manager creates a customized financial
report.

But there are also security risks to such setups. Customer
information, sales figures, profit and loss statements, and other
vital business data located on a network server are vulnerable to
intruders. And you may not want all employees to have access to
all kinds of data.

The challenge is to create a security plan that protects LOB
program data integrity and privacy, yet also supports efficient
data access and collaboration. For more information, see the
sidebar “Understand Your Business Requirements.”


Protecting your database from unwanted snoopers and other
threats starts with establishing basic computer security measures
in your workplace. As other security articles point out, you should:

• Set up firewalls. Small Business Server 2003, which many
small businesses run in combination with their business
applications, ships with firewall technology. The premium
edition of the server software includes ISA Server—an
advanced software firewall solution.
• Install antivirus software on all computers. Running
antivirus software on your server is as important as
running it on desktop computers. Look for antivirus
software that detects and disables viruses, and that you
can regularly update to screen for new viruses.
• Use strong passwords. Passwords should be required to
log on to any computer and server in your workplace.
Strong passwords have a mix of uppercase and lowercase
letters, numbers, and symbols. Require users to change their
passwords regularly.


• Back up files. Disasters happen, and if you haven’t saved
your important files and information on a separate storage
system, all your critical business application data could be
lost. Small Business Server 2003 includes a backup feature
that is easy to use.
• Update your software. Software updates typically include
the latest security features. Updates for Microsoft
products are available from Windows Update and from the
Microsoft Download Center.

Regulate access to information

Not everyone should have access to everything in your
workplace. If your business runs a Windows Server operating
system, you can restrict employee access to documents,
spreadsheets, or other business files. You can also designate
whether a user is permitted just to read a file or to change it.
Follow these tips for regulating access:

• Assign permissions and privileges to groups of users rather
than to individual users. Doing so saves time administering
access rights.
• Create your groups based on roles, such as Sales
Representatives. Then, assign a set of permissions that are
relevant to performing the tasks defined for that role.
• Set access rights for each group to the minimum levels
required for users to do their jobs.

Pay attention to the database

Because business-specific programs typically use a database to
store application data, remember to pay special attention to
database security. Here are several steps you can take:

• Install the most recent database service packs.
The premium edition of the server software ships with the
more advanced Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000. When
using these database programs in conjunction with your


business programs, make sure to install the latest service
packs and updates for improved security. The Microsoft
Download Center has the latest server applications
updates.
• Assess your server’s security with MBSA. MBSA is a free
tool you can download and use to scan your standalone
or networked computers for security vulnerabilities. With
MBSA, you can easily find missing security updates for
Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003
systems. MBSA also works with desktop applications
such as Office and server applications such as Microsoft
Exchange Server. After scanning your computers, MBSA
provides information about locating and installing
necessary updates.
• Whenever possible, use existing domain user accounts
and passwords for connections to SQL Server databases
instead of creating new accounts. Users won’t have to
remember multiple usernames and passwords, and this
technique also helps protect you from most Internet-
based attacks against the database.
• Isolate your server and back it up regularly. Physical and
logical isolation make up the foundation of SQL Server
security. Computers hosting a database should be in a
physically protected location. Back up all data regularly,
and store copies in a secure offsite location.

Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Relationship Management

Some LOB applications take much of the work out of setting access rights. One
example is Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Relationship Management
(CRM), a sophisticated program that tracks customer sales and support
relationships. Microsoft Business Solutions CRM typically runs in combination
with Small Business Server 2003 and comes with eight predefined roles that
range from CEO-Business Manager to Customer Service Representative to
Marketing Professional.

The program also predefines common business elements to which you can
assign rights, such as Leads, Opportunities, Contacts, Accounts, Competitors,
Products, Sales Literature, Quotes, Orders, Invoices, and Contracts.


Read More About It
• For articles from Microsoft about securing Line-of Business
applications, visit www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/
securityguidance/hub.mspx
• For downloads available from Microsoft, visit
www.microsoft.com/downloads/
• For information about the MBSA, please visit
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx

Step 7 Manage Computers from a Server

Without stringent administrative procedures in place, the security
measures you take to safeguard your business may be unintentionally
jeopardized by users. Just when you think you’ve followed all the rules
to safeguard your business assets against viruses, hackers, and
burglars, along comes an employee with an idea that could unravel all
the smart security moves you have implemented so far.

As you know, it takes a major commitment to properly safeguard your
business from external threats. If you’ve started that process by
updating your software and virus protection and installing a firewall,
you’ve already made a significant investment of time, effort, and
money.

Unfortunately, a lack of stringent administrative procedures can
unwittingly sabotage that security investment, reversing the changes
you’ve made or inadvertently introducing new risks. Users may not
stay current on updates and patches, they may download
unauthorized and potentially harmful software, and they may not be
vigilant about unauthorized access to data on their computers.

One solution is to manage desktop and laptop computers from
your server. Not only will this approach reduce the risk of your security
measures being sabotaged, it can also represent a significant savings


in time and money because of the efficiencies you gain, such as:
• Timely updates. You can deploy updates and security fixes,
along with new versions of software, from the server to
users’ computers. In this way, you know the updates have been
applied properly and in a timely manner, and you don’t have
to rely on users remembering to do it themselves. You can also
test updates before deployment and make sure that computers
on the network apply only the proper updates.
• Special configurations. If your organization has preferred
settings for the operating system or the applications
everyone uses, these can be managed, updated, and
enforced organization-wide from your server. In addition, you
can prevent users from installing unauthorized programs by
restricting their ability to run programs from CD-ROMs and
other removable drives or to download programs from the
Internet.
• Monitoring. If unauthorized access or a system failure
on a computer occurs, such a situation can be detected
immediately through the monitoring capabilities available in
a managed environment—a server-based network on which
monitoring software is used.

If you’re considering a first server or a server upgrade for your
business, it’s worth noting that improvements in the management
capabilities of Windows Server 2003, together with the enhanced
security features in Windows XP Professional with SP2, offer a
powerful defense against internal and external threats.

Read More About It
• For articles from Microsoft about managing desktop and
laptop computers from the server, visit www.microsoft.com/
smallbusiness/gtm/securityguidance/checklist/default.mspx
• Find out how Windows Update Services (WUS) can help
simplify and automate the deployment of patches and updates
at www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/sus/


Creating a Security Policy

A security policy sets guidelines that define an organization’s
approach to security. A policy differs from a plan in that a plan
is a call to action, while a policy defines the goals of a plan.

Your security policy will actually be a collection of several
different policies, which might include guidelines on employee
Web and e-mail use, administrative access, and remote access.
A policy is useful only if it’s enforced. You should not create
policies that are stricter or more complicated than you are
willing to enforce. A policy is not set in stone, but is a living
document. A good policy must be allowed to grow so that it
can accommodate new threats, new technology, and new ways
of thinking.

Although each organization’s security needs are unique, most
security policies address a handful of common elements.
(For more information, see the sidebar “Teach Your Employees
About Security.”) The SANS Institute defines several elements
that you should include in a good security policy:

• Objectives. This section clearly states the reason the
security policy exists.
• Scope. This section identifies the people and systems
affected by the policy.
• Protected Assets. This section identifies the assets that the
policy protects. Mail servers, databases, and websites are
common business assets that need to be protected. Think
of this section as an expanded discussion of the objectives.
• Responsibilities. This section of the policy identifies the
groups or individuals responsible for implementing the
conditions of the policy.
• Enforcement. This section of the policy discusses the
consequences for violating the policy. Some authorities
recommend referring to the appropriate location in the
employee handbook as opposed to carrying enforcement
directly in the security policy to avoid legal issues.

Creating a Security Policy 46

Teach Your Employees About Security

You can lock down servers and desktop computers, install firewalls, and keep
software updated, but one of the toughest parts of securing your business can
be getting your employees to follow security guidelines. Fortunately, if you
teach your employees why security matters, show them the security policies you
have in place and why those policies are there, and encourage them to help
enforce those policies, your employees can actually become your first line of
defense against intrusion.

• Include your employees when you are creating your security plan. If you
make them part of the process, they will be more motivated to help make
the plan a reality.
• Hold training sessions for employees in which you teach them important
security techniques. In particular, show them how to spot spoofed e-mail
messages, make sure that the operating system and antivirus software are
kept up-to-date, and use strong passwords.
• You should also teach employees how criminal hackers may try to
get information from them. Employees should not leave passwords
written down where people can find them. They should also never give
out usernames or passwords over the phone—even to someone they
think they should trust. Finally, employees should be encouraged not
to discuss confidential information or security precautions in public
areas. Hackers often try to trick or persuade employees into disclosing
confidential information, a technique referred to as social engineering.
• Prepare written policies for employees for using the Internet and e-mail,
using company computers for personal projects, and so on. Have your
employees sign a copy of the policy so that they understand how serious
you are about security. You should also discuss the consequences of not
following company policy.
• Continually train new and existing employees on security issues and
policies.

Above all, you must communicate with your employees about security.
It should be a topic they hear about frequently so that following good
security techniques becomes a habit.

47 Creating a Security Policy

• Remote Access Policy. Outlines acceptable methods for
remotely connecting to the internal network, such as
whether employees are allowed to connect to the network
from their home computers.
• Information Protection Policy. Provides guidelines to
users on the processing, storage, and transmission of
sensitive information.
• Virus Protection Policy. Provides baseline requirements
for the use of antivirus software as well as guidelines for
reporting and containing virus infections.
• Password Policy. Provides guidelines for how user-level
and system-level passwords are managed and changed.
• Firewall Security Policy. Describes, in general, how
ﬁrewalls are conﬁgured and maintained, and by whom.

For more information about security policies, visit www.sans.org

Creating a Security Policy 48

Creating a Security Plan

You need a plan. Security is not a one-off task but an
overlapping mesh of technology, people, policies, and processes.
A plan coordinates the whole security effort to match your
company’s security policy and make sure there are no gaps.

There are four steps to creating a good security plan: assess, plan,
execute, and monitor. Before you begin these steps, though, your
organization needs to develop a simple security policy. First, use
the seven-step plan found earlier in this document as a checklist
and apply the steps to all the computers in your business. Second,
after you have completed the audit, prioritize action items
according to the probability and likely impact of a problem.
Third, taking each risk in turn according to its priority, decide
how to transfer, mitigate, or avoid it (or, on consideration, live
with it). Finally, put together a team, allocate resources and
responsibilities, and carry out your plan. Monitor your plan to
ensure ongoing review and compliance.

A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.
Planning for security is a cyclical and repetitive process, so it
makes sense to execute a quick plan now and refine it later.

Assess
• Review your own skills and knowledge. Decide whether
outside help or training is required and find a consultant, if
necessary.
• Analyze your current state of security. Use our
questionnaire, seven-step plan, and the MBSA. The MBSA is
a free program that scans single systems or multiple systems
across a network for common system misconfigurations and
missing security updates. View the MBSA at www.microsoft.
com/technet/security/tools/


• Identify assets that need to be protected, such as hardware,
software, data, documentation, and people. Also identify
account information, administrative procedures, and legal com-
compliance.
• Categorize your information according to its sensitivity. Use
the following scale: public (website data), internal (marketing
data), confidential (payroll), and secret (patents).
• Identify required services. Include services such as remote
access and e-mail.
• Predict threats. Include threats such as spoofing,
tampering, repudiation, information disclosure, DoS, and
elevation of privilege. Consider using trusted third parties to test
exposure.
• Calculate exposure for each asset and service against each
threat. Use the formula probability x impact = exposure to gen-
erate an ordered list of security priorities.

Plan
• Remember that the objective is not to eliminate all risk
regardless of the cost, but to minimize the risks as much as
possible. There are three main tradeoffs:
- Functionality versus security required
- Ease of use versus security
- Cost of security versus risk of loss
• For each risk, plan how to transfer, avoid, mitigate, or (worst
case) live with it.
• Create a plan that:
- .Includes a policy defining the organization’s security requirements
and acceptable use
- Has procedures for preventing, detecting, and responding to
security incidents
- Provides a framework for enforcing compliance
- Reflects the culture of the organization and the resources
available for implementation
• Create a plan for dealing with a security breach (for example,
a virus attack):

Creating a Security Plan 50

- What are the goals and objectives in handling an incident?
- Who should be notiﬁed in case of an incident?
- How will you identify an incident and determine how serious it is?
- What should happen when an incident occurs?
• Create a project team. Include management and staff. Give
everyone clearly deﬁned roles and responsibilities.
• Create a project time line.
• Write it all up, and make sure everyone agrees to it.

Execute
• Communicate with staff and provide regular training where
necessary.
• Test measures for technical adequacy and obtain participant
feedback.
• Modify the plan, if necessary.
• Carry out the plan.

Monitor
• Research new threats, and include new risks as you become
aware of them:
- Subscribe to security bulletins.
- Train users.
• Modify the plan when changes occur in personnel, the
organization, hardware, or software.
• Conduct ongoing maintenance, such as virus updates, new
user training, and backups.

For more information about how to assess and manage security risks,
see the Microsoft Security Risk Management Guide at
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/guidance/secrisk/default.mspx.
This guide addresses recommendations for large organizations and for
small businesses with stringent security needs. Many of the
approaches discussed may be helpful for understanding how to
reduce security risks in your small business.


Sample Security Plan: Adventure Works

The following sample security plan was put together by a
ﬁctitious company named Adventure Works. Because of the
increasing focus on security in the computing world, the
company has decided to review security practices and put
together a plan to improve those practices. Adventure Works’
needs may differ from your company’s needs, but reading
through its plan should give you a good idea of the steps
involved in creating a good security plan.

Adventure Works Security Plan

This plan was developed by
Matthew, Managing Director of
Adventure Works, in cooperation with
other key members of the Adventure
Works staff.

Sample Security Plan: Adventure Works 52

Section 1: Introduction
This plan was developed by Matthew, Managing Director of
Adventure Works, in cooperation with other key members of the
Adventure Works staff.

About Adventure Works

We are a 20-person firm specializing in high-adventure travel
packages. Our staff includes designers, travel agents, sales and
marketing personnel, and the administrative team that supports
them. The staff also includes the senior management of the
business: the co-founders, Matthew and Denise, and the financial
controller, Steve.

Objectives

This security plan is our first. We will take a broad view of the
security risks facing the firm and take prompt action to reduce our
exposure. Everyone remembers the virus attack we had earlier this
year, and we hope to avoid another disaster like that! However,
I hope that by taking a wider view, we may be able to plan for
threats we don’t know about yet.

I realize that we are limited in time, people, and (of course) cash.
Our main priority is to continue to grow a successful business. We
cannot hope for Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-like security,
and it wouldn’t be good for our culture to turn Adventure Works
into Fort Knox. The project team has weighed these constraints
carefully in deciding what to do and has tried to strike a balance
between practicality, cost, comfort, and security measures. We are
all convinced, however, that doing nothing is not an option.

I am taking responsibility for leading this review and ensuring that
all the action items are carried out. I am concerned about the risks
we face, although having reviewed the plan, I am sure we can
address them properly. This project has my full support and is a
high priority for the business.

Circulation

Because this document contains important security information,
it is confidential. You are requested to keep it under lock and key


when not actually using it, and please don’t leave it lying around
or make photocopies. We will not be sending this document via
e-mail or storing it on the server—paper copies only, please. The
following people are authorized to view this document:

• Matthew (Managing Director)
• Denise (Operations Director)
• Steve (Financial Controller)
• Kim (Staff Manager)
• Sutton and Sutton (our lawyers)
• Jeremy (our outside security consultant)

Project Team

The project team includes:

• Denise, project leader
• Steve
• Kim
• Jeremy, advising our staff and carrying out some of the
implementation

In addition, we consulted with members of staff from sales,
marketing, and design to get their feedback about what they
wanted and how the plan might affect them.

Section 2: Assessment Results
Our assessment has produced the following results:

Skills and Knowledge

Our technology consultant, Jeremy, is familiar with the whole
situation and will be our expert guide. However, we need to
internalize as much of this knowledge as possible by doing as
much of the work as we can. Doing so will also help us save
money. Luckily, Steve is an amateur computer enthusiast. He has
attended a security training course.


Each member of the project team has read the available security
planning guides from Microsoft and the Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF) in preparation. The company as a whole is
reasonably technically literate, but (with one or two exceptions)
they see computers as tools to get the job done and don’t know
much about how they work.

Our Network and Systems

• Desktops: Twenty-two (one per member of staff plus two
old machines acting as print servers)
• Laptop computers: Six (one each for the directors, one for
Steve, and three for the sales team)
• Printers: Two (one high-end plotter and one printer-fax
combo unit for general use)
• Servers: One (running Small Business Server 2003 and
looking after files, the Internet connection, e-mail, and our
customer database)
• Internet connection: 1.5 Mbps cable modem connection

The server and several of the computers are linked by 100 Mbps
Cat5 Ethernet cables. The remainder are linked by an 802.11g
wireless network with an access port. All computers run Windows
XP Professional except for the two print servers and two
administrative computers, which run Windows 98.

Security

We compared each computer against the checklist in the Security
Guide for Small Business. We also ran the MBSA. These actions
produced the following results:

• Virus protection: Not present on six computers; not up to
date on four computers; generally, most users were aware of
viruses but were a bit unsure about what they could do to
prevent them.

• Spam-filtering software: Many users have begun to complain
about spam, but no protection is in place.

• Firewall: We thought the ISP’s router included a firewall, but
it doesn’t; so, we don’t have one.


• Updates: All the Windows XP Professional systems are up to
date because they were automatically checking and
downloading updates. However, several installations of
Microsoft Office need updating, and the Windows 98
computers are not updated at all.

• Passwords: A random sampling found that most people
aren’t using passwords at all or had them written on Post-it
notes. In particular, none of the laptop computers are
password protected.

• Physical security: We had the insurance people in last year, so
the window locks, doors, and alarms are pretty good.
However, none of the computers have a serial number
etched on its case, and we didn’t have a log of the serial
numbers. We also noticed that everyone, including Tracy
and the two directors, are using the same printer, which
means that there is a risk of confidential documents being
left there by accident.

• Laptop computers: All the laptop computers had shiny bags
with big manufacturer logos. No security locks.

• Wireless networking: We’re wide open here. It turns out that
we just set the thing up and it worked, so nobody touched
any of the settings. The wireless network is open to people
who have wireless access capability to snoop on the network
or freeload on the Internet connection.

• Web browsing: Everyone thinks that having fast Internet
access is a great perk, but they are using it all the time and
without much thought to the risks. Through a content
filtering audit, we found that 20 percent of our Web brows-
ing was unrelated to work. We don’t have a policy on ac-
ceptable use, and no one is taking any security measures.

• Backups: We back up data on the server to a Digital Audio
Tape (DAT) drive on a weekly basis, but we haven’t tested
restoring the data; unless people remember to copy local
files to the server, those files aren’t backed up, which is
unsatisfactory. The server contains our primary customer
database, so well-tested backups are essential, as is keeping
a copy of backups offsite.


Assets

Besides the physical property, our main assets are:

• Our product designs and marketing collateral
• Records of our contracts with vendors
• Our e-mail database and archive of past e-mail messages
• Sales orders and the customer database
• Financial information
• Line-of-Business (LOB) software for online booking and
reservations
• Paper legal records stored in various filing cabinets

All these assets are considered secret and should be accessible
only on a need-to-know basis. In addition, they need to be
protected and backed up as safely as we can manage.

Risks

We believe the risks break down into four main categories:

• Intruders (viruses, worms, hijacking of our computer
resources or Internet connection, and random malicious use).
These are the risks that anyone using computers connected
to the Internet faces. High risk, high priority.

• External threats (rivals, disgruntled ex-employees, bad guys
after money, and thieves). They are likely to use the same
tools as hackers, but in deliberately targeting us they may
also try to induce members of staff to supply confidential
information or even use stolen material to blackmail or
damage us. We need to protect our assets with physical and
electronic security. High risk, high priority.

• Internal threats. Whether accidental or deliberate, a member
of staff may misuse his or her privileges to disclose
confidential information. Low risk, low priority.

• Accidents and disasters. Fires, floods, accidental deletions,
hardware failures, and computer crashes. Low risk, medium
priority.


Priorities

1. Intruder deterrence:
• Installing firewalls
• Installing and updating virus protection
• Strengthening the wireless network
• Replacing the four computers running Windows 98
with computers running Windows XP Professional with
SP2
• Ensuring that all computers are configured to be
updated automatically
• Educating users and explaining policies
2. Theft prevention:
• Helping protect laptop computers
• Inventorying and mark assets
• Moving the server into a secure, lockable room
• Physically securing desktop and laptop computers
3. Disaster prevention:
• Creating better backup plan with offsite storage
• Ensuring backup of users’ local data
• Storing copies of critical paper documents offsite
• Regularly testing the backups by performing a restore
4. Internal security and confidentiality:
• Creating a strong password policy
• Securing printers for accounts, HR, and directors
• Reviewing security for filing cabinets and confidential
documents

Section 3: Security Plan
After performing our assessment, we have devised the following
security plan:

Action Items

1. Select, purchase, and install a hardware firewall (or ask our
ISP or technology consultant to provide one).
2. Enable Windows Firewall on the server and on all desktop
computers.
3. Make sure that antivirus software is installed on all
computers and that it is set to automatically update virus
definitions.


4. Configure computers running Office Outlook 2003 to use
Junk e-mail filtering. Select, purchase, and install spam-
filtering software on the mail server, if necessary.
5. On the wireless network, disable service set identifier
(SSID) broadcasting, choose and configure a sensible
SSID, enable WPA encryption, enable MAC filtering, and
configure the access point to allow traffic only from the
desktop and laptop computers in the office.
6. Replace the four computers running Windows 98 with
computers running Windows XP Professional with SP2.
7. Review all machines to make sure that they are fully
updated, and set them to automatically refresh those
updates.
8. Buy new, nondescript laptop computer bags and locks.
9. Security mark all desktop computers, laptop computers,
and their components.
10. Log all serial numbers.
11. Buy and install desk security locks for desktop computers.
12. Find a suitable, lockable room for the server and move it
there.
13. Review backup and restore procedures. Ensure that
user data is either stored on the server or copied across
regularly prior to backups. Implement daily backups.
Ensure that a full backup goes offsite once a week. Ensure
that the backup is password protected and encrypted.
Review paper documents and make photocopies for
secure offsite storage of critical documents.
14. Configure Small Business Server 2003 and individual
machines to enforce reasonably strong passwords.
Discuss with users what would be an acceptable balance
of convenience and security. (We don’t want them writing
down their new passwords.)
15. Configure workstations to log users out and require a
password to log on again if the workstation is idle for
more than five minutes.
16. Buy cheap printers for accounts, HR, and the two directors
so that they can have private documents printed securely.


Policy Changes

Kim will update the staff handbook to include new policies on:

• Acceptable use of e-mail and the Internet
• Use of passwords
• Who can take company property away from the office

After she has completed a first draft, it will be reviewed by the
directors and the company’s attorneys before being rolled out.

User Education

We expect to give up to two hours of user training in small groups
as a result of these changes. Training will cover:

• The importance of security
• Passwords
• Laptop computer security
• Virus prevention
• Safe Internet browsing
• Updating software and operating systems from a server
• Introducing the new staff policies
• Making sure employees understand the consequences for
not complying with policies
• Assessing employees’ understanding of the new policies
• Periodically reviewing the practice of the new policies

Project Time Line and Responsibilities

The top three priorities—firewall, virus protection, and
strengthening the wireless network—will receive urgent attention
from our security consultant, Jeremy. The remaining tasks will be
done by our own staff in order of priority.

We expect the top three priorities to be completed within a week
and the remaining tasks within 30 days. Steve will be responsible
for purchasing and implementing the technical changes. Kim will
be responsible for all the policy and training requirements. Denise
will oversee the project and be responsible for any other tasks
that arise.


Response Planning

In the event of a security breach, we will contact Jeremy. His
company has a one-hour response policy during office hours and
a four-hour response policy at all other times to deal with serious
incidents, such as virus infections. In addition, Steve will monitor
the server and firewall regularly to make sure that no breaches
have occurred.

Ongoing Maintenance and Compliance

Steve will be responsible for security on a day-to-day basis, with
Denise taking overall responsibility. Steve will continue his own
self-education on the topic, subscribe to security bulletins from
Microsoft and our antivirus software supplier, and liaise with
Jeremy on a regular basis to monitor compliance with the new
policies.

On a monthly basis, Steve will make sure that Windows and our
antivirus software are updated and that the backup and restore
procedures are working properly. He will also be responsible for
ensuring that new computer equipment is properly configured
and up-to-date.

Kim will be responsible for ensuring that new staff joining the
company are fully trained in the company’s security policies and
procedures.

There will be a full, formal review of this plan in six months.

Section 4: Resources and Budget
The following expenditure has been approved:

Software and Hardware

• Purchase antivirus software.
• Configure Office Outlook 2003 to filter junk e-mail.
• Install a hardware firewall.
• Replace the last four desktop computers running Windows
98 with computers running Windows XP Professional with
SP2.
• Purchase security locks and new nondescript laptop
computer bags.
• Check into additional backup media.


Professional Advice

• Sutton and Sutton to review our rewritten staff policies
• Jeremy for advice during the creation of this plan
• Jeremy for help with implementation

Internal Resources

• Although we are not paying for our own staff directly, to be
clear about the allocation of resources and the time that is
available for this work, we have authorized the use of
internal staff as detailed above.


Information Online

You should consider this guide a starting point for securing your
business. The following sites provide additional technical
information and security guidance.

For information about small business technology and security
guidance, go to
www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/

For information about starting and running a small business, go to
www.asbdc-us.org
www.uschamber.com
www.sba.gov
www.entrepreneur.com
http://sbc.nist.gov

For consumer and end-user information, go to
http://safety.msn.com
www.microsoft.com/athome/security/

For business software and productivity solutions, go to
www.microsoft.com/ofﬁce/
www.microsoft.com/windows/

For server information, go to
www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/encomm/freetrial.mspx
www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/products/server/sbs/detail.mspx

For information about genuine software and the law, go to
www.microsoft.com/genuine/small_business.mspx?displaylang=en
www.bsa.org

For explanations of technical terms, visit
www.howstuffworks.com
www.webopedia.com

For general information about security and safety, visit
www.microsoft.com/protect/
www.microsoft.com/security/
www.microsoft.com/spam/
www.microsoft.com/senderid/
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/topics/hardsys/default.mspx
www.symantec.com
www.isalliance.org

For information about computer crime, visit
www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/
www.gocsi.com
www.kensington.com

63 Information Online

For mobile networking and VPNs, go to
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/topics/mobile/default.asp
www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/gtm/mobilize/hub.mspx

For information about backups, go to
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/maintain/
backup.asp

For detailed advice about writing a security plan and for sample
policies, go to
www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/security/bestprac/bpent/
bpentsec.mspx
www.sans.org

For information about Internet filtering software, go to
www.websense.com
www.securecomputing.com

For more technical information, go to
www.microsoft.com/security/
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/default.mspx
www.cert.org/tech_tips/home_networks.html
www.ja.net/documents/factsheets.html

For firewalls, go to
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/topics/network/firewall.mspx
www.mcafee.com
www.symantec.com
www.zonelabs.com

For antivirus software and e-mail security, go to
www.grisoft.com
www.symantec.com/smallbiz/nav/
www.mcafee.com
www.pandasoftware.com
www.bitdefender.com

To get software updates for Windows and Microsoft Office, go to
www.windowsupdate.com
www.officeupdate.com

For a complete glossary of security terms, go to
www.microsoft.com/security/glossary.mspx

Information Online 64

Security Guide For Small Business

www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness

© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, MSN, Windows, Outlook, Exchange Server, Windows Server,
SmartScreen and the Microsoft logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries.

0305 Part No. 099-93165

Security Guide For Small Business

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