Speaker 1: All right, so today we are really diving deep get
Speaker 1: this into Windows networking security, specifically the world of Windows
Speaker 1: AID and Server twenty twelve. Right, we're using excerpts from
Speaker 1: a Windows twenty twelve Server Network Security to kind of
Speaker 1: guide us. Think of it as our security handbook for
Speaker 1: this deep dive.
Speaker 2: And what a handbook it is. You know, this era
Speaker 2: really marked a shift in how we thought about security.
Speaker 2: Oh Will. It was no longer just for the IT
Speaker 2: specialist tucked away in a room somewhere, right. It became
Speaker 2: everybody's responsibility, from you know, the average user just browsing
Speaker 2: the web, right all the way up to the DNS admin.
Speaker 1: And as funy as you should say that about the
Speaker 1: DNS admin because I was reading in the book, it's
Speaker 1: like you think about that role and you think, DNS, Oh,
Speaker 1: they just make sure that the websites work. But they
Speaker 1: have to think about security.
Speaker 2: Too, oh absolutely, yeah, like.
Speaker 1: Way more than just making sure a website loads.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, you know, they have to think about things like
Speaker 2: availability during an attack. Okay, making sure that the system's
Speaker 2: not just protected, but that it's still giving out accurate information. Wow,
Speaker 2: it's a real balancing act.
Speaker 1: So there's a lot more to it than meets the eye.
Speaker 1: And speaking of things that have more to them than
Speaker 1: meets the eye, the book mentions the CIA tryad a lot.
Speaker 1: Is that where this balancing act comes in.
Speaker 2: The Cishod triad. It's essential confidentiality, integrity, availability, those three
Speaker 2: pillars they all have to work in harmony, okay, And
Speaker 2: this book it really hammers home the point that good
Speaker 2: security isn't just about building those digital fortresses, you know,
Speaker 2: with your firewalls and your encryption and everything. Yeah, it's
Speaker 2: also about making sure those systems are usable for the
Speaker 2: people who need them. Right.
Speaker 1: So it's kind of like you could have the most
Speaker 1: secure car in the world, right, but if the doors
Speaker 1: are welded shut, it's not very practical exactly, you got it,
Speaker 1: It's not doing you any good.
Speaker 2: And speaking of practicality and usability, you know Windows eight
Speaker 2: and Server twenty twelve, they brought some serious upgrades to
Speaker 2: the table.
Speaker 1: They did, they did.
Speaker 2: I'm thinking specifically about the revamp Server Manager, okay, and
Speaker 2: then the expanded power of PowerShell PowerShell.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that was a big deal, right, huge, huge more
Speaker 1: power your fingertips.
Speaker 2: But's double aid sword exactly.
Speaker 1: That's what I was thinking like more power to break
Speaker 1: things too. If you're not careful.
Speaker 2: It's like being handed the keys to like, you know,
Speaker 2: a Formula one race car. Okay, you know it's exhilarating,
Speaker 2: but you better know what you're doing behind the wheel, you.
Speaker 1: Know, exactly. Yeah, if you don't know what you're doing,
Speaker 1: you could get in trouble.
Speaker 2: Exactly.
Speaker 1: We'll be off the track in no time.
Speaker 2: In this book, it really gets into the nitty gritty
Speaker 2: of how to use these tools. Yeah, but for our
Speaker 2: purposes today, we're going to focus on the security essentials. Okay,
Speaker 2: sounds good, Just the need to know to keep you
Speaker 2: safe on the information super Highway.
Speaker 1: Love it. Love the analogy.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: So, one thing that was really making waves back then
Speaker 1: and still is is the rise of IPv six. Yes,
Speaker 1: remember all the hype about running out of IPv four addresses.
Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, it was like the Y two K the Internet.
Speaker 2: It was.
Speaker 1: It was everyone was talking about it.
Speaker 2: But you know, IPv six, that's a whole other ball game.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Instead of those thirty two bit addresses we were used to,
Speaker 2: we're talking one hundred and twenty eight bits. Yeah, basically
Speaker 2: an unlimited number of addresses.
Speaker 1: It's practically an unlimited number.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: The book was saying it's enough for every person on
Speaker 1: Earth to have billions of addresses each and then some
Speaker 1: yeah yeah, like it's incredible. It is no more hoarding
Speaker 1: ip addresses like they're going extinct exactly. And I gotta say,
Speaker 1: you know, this is maybe a personal preference. Yeah, but
Speaker 1: I always found that colon and hexadecimal notation in IPv
Speaker 1: six addresses, right, just a bit more I don't know, elegant.
Speaker 2: A little cleaner.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's cleaner. I like it it is, even if
Speaker 1: it takes a little getting used to.
Speaker 2: It's definitely a more I think, scalable system designed with
Speaker 2: the future in mind, you know, security in mind, right,
Speaker 2: long term, long.
Speaker 1: Term, Yeah, because we're not going to run out of
Speaker 1: addresses anytime soon with IPVs.
Speaker 2: Not anytime soon.
Speaker 1: So we've got all these addresses, but how do devices
Speaker 1: actually get them. That's where DHCP comes in.
Speaker 2: Right, ECP. It's like the automated address dispenser of the
Speaker 2: network world, exactly, right. You just show up, you get
Speaker 2: an address, You're good to go.
Speaker 1: It just makes things so much easier because I mean,
Speaker 1: can you imagine having to manually configure.
Speaker 2: Oh, I don't even want to think about.
Speaker 1: It, the IP settings for every single device on a network. Oh,
Speaker 1: the nightmare, especially a large network like a corporate network.
Speaker 2: Especially, Yeah, forget it.
Speaker 1: Oh it'd be impossible.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, it's essential.
Speaker 1: So DHCP is great for streamlining things. But the book
Speaker 1: hints at some security risks involved as well. Right, something
Speaker 1: about blind trust.
Speaker 2: Well, the issue is that DHCP in its basic form,
Speaker 2: it doesn't have any built in authentication.
Speaker 1: What do you mean.
Speaker 2: It's like, you know, leaving a bowl of candy on
Speaker 2: your porch with a sign that says, please take one. Okay,
Speaker 2: you're just trusting everyone to play by the rules.
Speaker 1: And in the network world, not everyone plays.
Speaker 2: By the rules exactly. You got it. You never know
Speaker 2: who's going to show up and grab a hand for
Speaker 2: right exactly.
Speaker 1: So what could go wrong? Give me an example.
Speaker 2: Okay, so let's say someone sneaks a rogue DHCP server
Speaker 2: onto your network.
Speaker 1: A rogue DHCP server.
Speaker 2: A rogue one. Yeah, it's like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Speaker 2: When your device instantly requests an IP address this rogue server,
Speaker 2: it can jump in with a bogus one.
Speaker 1: So instead of getting a piece of candy, I get
Speaker 1: a rock.
Speaker 2: The rock exactly. That fake IP address, it can block
Speaker 2: your device from connecting entirely, or worse, it could redirect
Speaker 2: your DNS requests, sending you to a fake website, maybe
Speaker 2: designed to steal your information.
Speaker 1: Oh so that's how that works, exactly. That's really scary.
Speaker 2: It's sneaky.
Speaker 1: But I think I remember reading in the book about
Speaker 1: some defenses against these rogue servers.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, like something called DHCP snooping.
Speaker 2: EHCP snooping. That's a life saver. Yeah. It works with
Speaker 2: your network switches to create essentially a VIP list. Okay,
Speaker 2: so only DHCP responses from trusted HGC addresses and ports
Speaker 2: are let through.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a bouncer at our party.
Speaker 2: Exactly, only the people on the list get through.
Speaker 1: I like that analogy, right. What about DHCP reservations. I
Speaker 1: remember that being a big deal for important systems.
Speaker 2: DHCP reservations those are essential. To think of it like
Speaker 2: assigning reserved parking spaces in your network. Okay, you're basically
Speaker 2: telling the DHDP server this specific device always gets this
Speaker 2: specific IP address, no exceptions.
Speaker 1: Which makes sense for things like servers or printers. Absolutely, yeah,
Speaker 1: things that need to have that static address.
Speaker 2: Anything mission critical that needs a permanent address. That makes
Speaker 2: a lot of sense, and you're essentially nailing it to
Speaker 2: that device's MC address for IPv four or it's DUID
Speaker 2: for IPv six. Gotcha either way, no more musical chairs
Speaker 2: with IP addresses for those important devices.
Speaker 1: That's great. So we've got our addresses sorted with DHCP.
Speaker 2: We do.
Speaker 1: Now let's talk about how we actually find our way
Speaker 1: around the Internet, and that's where DNS comes in, right.
Speaker 2: DNS it's the Internet's phone book, right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it is.
Speaker 2: It takes those easy to remember domain names like Google
Speaker 2: dot com and translates them into those IP addresses that
Speaker 2: the computers use to actually communicate.
Speaker 1: Yeah, because who wants to remember a string of numbers
Speaker 1: every time you want to visit a website?
Speaker 2: No one, it'd be impossible, to be impossible, right exactly.
Speaker 1: But like with any good system, I'm guessing there are
Speaker 1: vulnerabilities with DNS too, right, Oh.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, DNS is a prime target. Really, it's a critical
Speaker 2: piece of Internet infrastructure, okay, and like any critical system,
Speaker 2: it's got its vulnerabilities.
Speaker 1: So what are some of the things that can go
Speaker 1: wrong with DNS.
Speaker 2: Well, one of the biggest threats is DNS.
Speaker 1: Spoofing, DNA spoofing? What is that?
Speaker 2: So imagine someone you know, tampers with the DNS cash okay,
Speaker 2: either on your computer or maybe on a DNS server, right,
Speaker 2: and suddenly you're being redirected to a malicious website.
Speaker 1: Even if I type in the correct address.
Speaker 2: Even if you type in the correct address, you're not
Speaker 2: going where you think you're going.
Speaker 1: Oh wow, So I could type in like a Google
Speaker 1: dot com and end up on some sketchy fishing site exactly.
Speaker 2: That's how they get you. It's all about misdirection.
Speaker 1: That's really sneaky.
Speaker 2: Thankfully, there are ways to protect against this, okay, good.
Speaker 2: The book talks about a feature in Windows Active directory
Speaker 2: called Secure Dynamic Updates.
Speaker 1: Secure Dynamic Updates, what is that.
Speaker 2: It's like a security checkpoint for any changes to your
Speaker 2: DNS records, so only authorized devices can update the records, so.
Speaker 1: No one can just waltz in and change things exactly.
Speaker 2: It prevents anyone from you know, hijacking a domain name
Speaker 2: or creating these fake entries to mislead people.
Speaker 1: That makes sense.
Speaker 2: I liked it. The book also mentions this this interesting
Speaker 2: little detail about something called the dncept beat date Proxwi group.
Speaker 1: The DNCE up beat prox Wei group. I don't think
Speaker 1: I've heard of that one.
Speaker 2: So, you know, when you've got multiple DHCP servers on a.
Speaker 1: Network, okay, which is common.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's very common, especially in larger organizations. Right, they
Speaker 2: need a way to you know, play nicely together, right
Speaker 2: when it comes to updating those DNS records. Yeah, that's
Speaker 2: where this comes in. It ensures that they can all
Speaker 2: modify the necessary registrations without causing conflicts or you know,
Speaker 2: disrupting connections.
Speaker 1: So it's all about keeping things in sync exactly.
Speaker 2: Synchronization and cooperation.
Speaker 1: That's the key, I like it. Right, So we've gone
Speaker 1: from securing the network's foundation with DHCP right to making
Speaker 1: sure we can find our way around safely with DNS.
Speaker 2: It's all connected, you see.
Speaker 1: It is. Yeah, it's all part of the big picture,
Speaker 1: it is. Now let's shift gears a bit and talk
Speaker 1: about something that's directly relevant to well everyone using a
Speaker 1: Windows eight computer okay, Yeah, those different network location types
Speaker 1: from group work and public right right, right, I always
Speaker 1: found those interesting, Like what are the security implications of
Speaker 1: choosing one over the other.
Speaker 2: It's all about setting the right security posture for your computer, yeah, right,
Speaker 2: depending on where you are and what you're doing. Okay,
Speaker 2: a home group, for example, it's like hanging out in
Speaker 2: your living room.
Speaker 1: So pretty relaxed, pretty secure environment exactly.
Speaker 2: You're mostly a trusted devices right right, So things are,
Speaker 2: you know, a bit more relaxed.
Speaker 1: You're not too worried about someone swiping your data precisely.
Speaker 2: You're more worried about, you know, maybe someone accidentally seeing
Speaker 2: something they shouldn't, right.
Speaker 1: Exactly, Like you don't want your roommate reading your diary exactly.
Speaker 2: Then you've got your work network, which is designed for
Speaker 2: well work environments.
Speaker 1: So a bit more security than your living room, a
Speaker 1: bit more locked down. Yeah, you don't want just anyone
Speaker 1: accessing sensitive company information exactly.
Speaker 2: And then you've got public, which is like you know,
Speaker 2: the coffee shop, the airport.
Speaker 1: The wild West of network, the wild West.
Speaker 2: You've got your cowboy hat on.
Speaker 1: You're ready for anything, right, because you really don't know
Speaker 1: who's out there.
Speaker 2: You don't know who's lurking on that public Wi Fi.
Speaker 1: You could be sitting next to a hacker and not
Speaker 1: even know it, exactly.
Speaker 2: So you want to make sure you're wearing your digital armor,
Speaker 2: so to speak.
Speaker 1: That makes a lot of sense. So if I'm at
Speaker 1: a coffee shop, yeah, I definitely want to make sure
Speaker 1: I'm in that public.
Speaker 2: Mode, public mode, lockdown.
Speaker 1: I want just anyone peeking at my files, exactly.
Speaker 2: You want to keep your private data private.
Speaker 1: Now, speaking of sharing files, Windows eight also introduced that
Speaker 1: home group feature right right, specifically for home networks.
Speaker 2: Right right. It was designed to make sharing you know,
Speaker 2: files and printers between Windows seven and a PC's super easy.
Speaker 1: So it's like a little private network within your home
Speaker 1: network exactly.
Speaker 2: It created this like little enclosed space where you can
Speaker 2: easily share things.
Speaker 1: And it was password protected, right yeah, so only people
Speaker 1: with the password could access the shared stuff exactly. But
Speaker 1: I imagine the security of that home group really depended
Speaker 1: on the strength of the password. Right.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, a week password is like leaving the door to
Speaker 2: your secret club wide open.
Speaker 1: So it's still important to choose a strong, unique password,
Speaker 1: even for your home network.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, never underestimate the importance of a strong password.
Speaker 1: Good advice. Now let's talk about wireless security. Ah, yeah,
Speaker 1: topic that's always top of mind always. I remember back
Speaker 1: in the day there was alt us talk about hiding
Speaker 1: your sasid right, like it was some secret agent tactic.
Speaker 2: Security through obscurity, as they call it, But is that
Speaker 2: really effective. It's like hiding your house key under the
Speaker 2: welcome matt.
Speaker 1: It might deter some casual snoopers, it might deter your
Speaker 1: neighbor's kid, but great, but a determined thief.
Speaker 2: A determined thief is going to find a way in.
Speaker 1: So what should we be doing to actually secure our
Speaker 1: Wi Fi?
Speaker 2: Strong encryption is your best friend?
Speaker 1: Okay? What kind of encryption are we talking about?
Speaker 2: WPA two specifically with AES encryption.
Speaker 1: WPA two with AES, got it, that's the gold standard. Okay.
Speaker 2: You know older protocols like WEP or WPA with TIP encryption,
Speaker 2: those are much more vulnerable these days, so those are
Speaker 2: a no go. Yeah, try to avoid those if you can.
Speaker 1: Okay, good to know.
Speaker 2: And be careful with those settings that automatically connect you
Speaker 2: to Wi Fi networks when you're in range.
Speaker 1: You mean, like when my phone just automatically connects to
Speaker 1: my home Wi Fi when I get home.
Speaker 2: Exactly, or to that coffee shop WiFi you used.
Speaker 1: One, right, right? So convenient, but maybe not always the safest.
Speaker 2: Convenience can sometimes come at the cost of security.
Speaker 1: So it's better to choose my Wi Fi networks carefully
Speaker 1: and connect manually exactly.
Speaker 2: Be mindful of where you're connecting, and always double check
Speaker 2: the network name.
Speaker 1: Okay, good advice, I like it.
Speaker 2: You don't want to accidentally connect to a rogue access
Speaker 2: point set up by some hacker.
Speaker 1: A rogue access point.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they can set up fake Wi Fi hotspots that
Speaker 2: look legitimate.
Speaker 1: Oh wow, that's really sneaky.
Speaker 2: They are sneaky, those hackers.
Speaker 1: So you really can't be too.
Speaker 2: Careful exactly, always be vigilant.
Speaker 1: Good advice. So we've talked about securing our networks foundation
Speaker 1: right and making sure we can find our way around safely. Yes,
Speaker 1: but what about protecting our individual computers. That's where the
Speaker 1: Windows firewall comes in, right.
Speaker 2: Ah, the trusty Windows Firewall everyone's first line of defense.
Speaker 2: It is, it really is. Most people know to turn
Speaker 2: it on and off, right, But there's a lot more
Speaker 2: to it than that.
Speaker 1: So give me the rundown. That's the bigger pick.
Speaker 2: Sure here, Well, think of the Windows firewall like a
Speaker 2: like a bodyguard for your computer.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: Okay, it's that first line of defense against unauthorized access.
Speaker 2: Checking those digital IDs at the door.
Speaker 1: I like it. So it's like having a bouncer at
Speaker 1: the door of my computer exactly. And Windows comes with
Speaker 1: like a set of default rules, right, so it knows
Speaker 1: who to let in and who to keep out automatically.
Speaker 2: Right. It's like a preapproved guest list, you know, designed
Speaker 2: to keep out those common troublemakers.
Speaker 1: Gotcha. But the cool thing is you can customize those rules, right.
Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely, you can get really granular with it, you know,
Speaker 2: really specify who's allowed in and out.
Speaker 1: So if I'm running a server or something, I can
Speaker 1: create my own rules for that exactly.
Speaker 2: Let's say you're, you know, running a web server from
Speaker 2: your home office. Okay, you need to create a rule
Speaker 2: that allows incoming traffic on port.
Speaker 1: Eighty because that's the standard port for web traffic exactly.
Speaker 2: Otherwise no one would be able to access your website.
Speaker 1: So it's like adding a side entrance to your house,
Speaker 1: right with a speparate key. Only certain people can use it.
Speaker 2: You got it. And remember those work location types we
Speaker 2: talked about domain, private, public, right, Well, the Windows firewall
Speaker 2: actually has different profiles for each one.
Speaker 1: So it adjusts its security posture based.
Speaker 2: On where I am exactly. It's like, you know, if
Speaker 2: you're walking alone at night, you can be more on guard,
Speaker 2: right than if you're strolling through your living room.
Speaker 1: So the public profile that's going to have the tightest
Speaker 1: security by.
Speaker 2: Default exactly you don't know who's out there.
Speaker 1: Makes sense now. The book also mentioned something called Windows
Speaker 1: Firewall with Advanced Security.
Speaker 2: Oh, yes, that's for the power users. Okay, the control freaks.
Speaker 1: Like me, what kind of control are we talking about here?
Speaker 2: We're talking granular control. You're not just flipping a switch
Speaker 2: on or off. You know, you're defining very specific rules.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 2: You can control access based on the program, the port,
Speaker 2: the protocol where the connection is coming from, going to Wow.
Speaker 2: You can even get really specific and base it on
Speaker 2: the user account.
Speaker 1: So if I wanted to like prevent a specific application
Speaker 1: from accessing, then I could do that.
Speaker 2: You got it. It's like, you know, imagine you're in
Speaker 2: a crowded room and you have the power to control
Speaker 2: the Internet usage of every single person in there.
Speaker 1: And that's impressive. I like it.
Speaker 2: It's powerful stuff. The book also delves into ip sec
Speaker 2: ip SEC.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I remember seeing that.
Speaker 2: What is that ip sec? It's like a super secure
Speaker 2: tunnel for your data. Okay, so while it's traveling across
Speaker 2: the Internet, it's protected.
Speaker 1: So it's like encrypting my data while it's in transit exactly.
Speaker 2: Think of it like like you're sending a secret message,
Speaker 2: you know. Okay, you put it in a lock box
Speaker 2: and only the person with a key on the other
Speaker 2: end can open it.
Speaker 1: That's a good analogy, and it uses.
Speaker 2: You know, several different techniques to keep things safe.
Speaker 1: Like what, give me some examples.
Speaker 2: So there's something called authentication headers.
Speaker 1: Ah, authentication headers.
Speaker 2: Yeah, these are like tamper proof seals for your data packets. Okay,
Speaker 2: so you know that the data hasn't been messed with
Speaker 2: in transit.
Speaker 1: Okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 2: And then there's encapsulation security payload or ESP for short, ESP,
Speaker 2: which encrypts the actual data itself, so even.
Speaker 1: If someone intercepts it, they can't read it.
Speaker 2: Exactly, it's just gibberish to them.
Speaker 1: I like it.
Speaker 2: And to make sure it all runs smoothly, ip sec
Speaker 2: uses something called the security association or.
Speaker 1: Essay, a security association okay.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like an agreement between the two devices on
Speaker 2: how they're going to secure their communication.
Speaker 1: So they're on the same page.
Speaker 2: Exactly, same encryption algorithms, same keys, the whole nine yards.
Speaker 1: I like it. So it's like a secret handshake before
Speaker 1: they exchange secret messages precisely.
Speaker 2: Now, let's talk about remote access, okay, because that's become
Speaker 2: increasingly important in our always connected world.
Speaker 1: Right, the ability to work from anywhere, connect to our
Speaker 1: home computers from afar. It's incredibly convenient, it is, but
Speaker 1: I'm guessing there are some security concerns there as well. Well. Absolutely, yeah,
Speaker 1: because you're essentially opening up your computer to the outside world.
Speaker 2: It's like leaving the front door of your digital house
Speaker 2: wide open.
Speaker 1: So we got to be careful, right, very careful. What
Speaker 1: are some of the things we should be thinking about
Speaker 1: when it comes to remote access tools.
Speaker 2: Well, let's start with let's start with teln it.
Speaker 1: Telln it. Okay, I've heard of that one, but I've
Speaker 1: never really used it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, tell it. It's a bit of an old timer
Speaker 2: in the remote access world, in old Teimer. It's been
Speaker 2: around for ages. It's very simple, simple, but not exactly
Speaker 2: known for its robust security.
Speaker 1: Okay, why is that?
Speaker 2: The problem with telln it is it sends data in plaintext, plaintext, plaintext,
Speaker 2: which means Anyone who intercepts that data can read everything.
Speaker 1: So not ideal if you're working with like sensitive information.
Speaker 2: Not ideal at all. It's like, you know, writing your
Speaker 2: message on a postcard. Yeah, anyone who sees it can
Speaker 2: read it.
Speaker 1: So tellent is a no go for anything important.
Speaker 2: It's best to avoid it if you can, for sure.
Speaker 1: Okay, good to know.
Speaker 2: There are much more secure alternatives out there, like SSH
Speaker 2: for example.
Speaker 1: Yes, a sage Okay, I'll have to look into that.
Speaker 1: So what about remote desktop That's the one I see everywhere.
Speaker 2: Ah, remote desktop that's become the go to for a
Speaker 2: lot of people. Yeah, and for good reason. It's much
Speaker 2: more secure than telmet thankfully.
Speaker 1: Okay, good to know.
Speaker 2: It's built right into Windows and it allows you to
Speaker 2: basically take control of a remote computer just like you're
Speaker 2: sitting right in front of it.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I've used that to help family members with computer troubles.
Speaker 1: It's a life saver.
Speaker 2: Oh, it's incredibly useful.
Speaker 1: But I imagine there are still some security risks with
Speaker 1: remote desktop right, Oh, absolutely, because you're essentially opening up
Speaker 1: a port on your computer for someone else to connect.
Speaker 2: To you are, and hackers know this. They specifically scan
Speaker 2: for open remote desktop ports.
Speaker 1: So if I have remote desktop enabled and it's just
Speaker 1: like ah, open to the internet.
Speaker 2: That's like, you know, that's like leaving a welcome mat
Speaker 2: out for trouble.
Speaker 1: Not good. So what can I do to secure remote desktop?
Speaker 1: How do I lock it down?
Speaker 2: Well? Strong passwords are a must for starters, of.
Speaker 1: Course, Strong passwords for everything.
Speaker 2: For everything, but especially for something like remote desktop where
Speaker 2: you're essentially giving someone the keys to your computer.
Speaker 1: Makes sense. Any other tips?
Speaker 2: Enable network level authentication.
Speaker 1: Network authentication okay.
Speaker 2: What is that? So that forces users to authenticate before
Speaker 2: they can even connect.
Speaker 1: So it's like an extra layer of security.
Speaker 2: Exactly, it's like having a security guard check your ID
Speaker 2: before they even let you in the building.
Speaker 1: Okay, So strong passwords, network level authentication, anything else.
Speaker 2: And restrict access What do you mean, don't just let
Speaker 2: anyone connect?
Speaker 1: Okay?
Speaker 2: Only allow specific users or IP addresses.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a guest list for my computer.
Speaker 1: Only the people on the list are allowed in.
Speaker 2: Exactly you like it.
Speaker 1: So we're being selective about who we give access to.
Speaker 2: Exactly. It's all about minimizing that attack surface.
Speaker 1: Makes sense now. The book mentions some really interesting stuff
Speaker 1: about server twenty twelve and how it handles remote access.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, it sounds like they really stepped up their game.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah. Server twenty twelve has some cool features like
Speaker 2: there's Remote Desktop Gateway okay, which allows you to securely
Speaker 2: access your work computer from anywhere in the world.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a secure tunnel directly to my
Speaker 1: work desktop exactly.
Speaker 2: No matter where you are, you can connect secure.
Speaker 1: That's amazing.
Speaker 2: What else, and then there's remote Desktop web Access, which
Speaker 2: lets you connect to your desktop through a web browser.
Speaker 1: Through a web browser. That's really convenient, super convenient.
Speaker 2: You don't have to install any special software, you just
Speaker 2: need a web browser.
Speaker 1: Wow. So Server twenty twelve really expanded the possibilities it did.
Speaker 2: They really took it to the next level.
Speaker 1: So we've talked about securing our networks, our individual computers,
Speaker 1: even accessing.
Speaker 2: Them remotely go a lot to cover.
Speaker 1: But what happens when things go wrong? Because let's face it,
Speaker 1: things inevitably go.
Speaker 2: Wrong, right, that's the nature of technology.
Speaker 1: What tools does Windows give us to monitor and troubleshoot
Speaker 1: these issues?
Speaker 2: Well, Windows has some great built in tools for that.
Speaker 2: We've got task Manager, resource monitor, and event viewer.
Speaker 1: Okay, so let's start with task Manager.
Speaker 2: Task Manager everybody's favorite.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the first place you go when something's acting
Speaker 1: up exactly.
Speaker 2: Most people just use it to see what programs are running.
Speaker 1: Right, or to force quit something that's frozen exactly.
Speaker 2: But it's got some hidden depth really. Oh yeah, check
Speaker 2: out the performance tab.
Speaker 1: The performance tab, what's in there.
Speaker 2: It's a treasure trove of information. You can see your
Speaker 2: CPU usage, okay, memory usage, disc activity, and most importantly
Speaker 2: for our purposes, network activity. Oh okay, you can see
Speaker 2: how much data you're sending and receiving, which can be
Speaker 2: super helpful if you're having internet problems.
Speaker 1: So if my connection is super slow, I can use
Speaker 1: task manager to see if anything's hogging the bandwidth exactly.
Speaker 2: You can see which program is the culprit.
Speaker 1: Oh, that's really helpful.
Speaker 2: And keep an eye out for any processes that are
Speaker 2: sending or receiving a ton of data. Why is that
Speaker 2: could be a sign of malware, you know, something malicious.
Speaker 1: Oh, so it's a good way to spot suspicious activity exactly.
Speaker 1: Always be vigilant, Always be vigilant. Good advice. Right, And
Speaker 1: then there's resource monitor. I'm not as familiar with that one.
Speaker 2: Resource monitor is like task managers more tech savvy sibling. Okay,
Speaker 2: it gives you an even deeper dive into how your
Speaker 2: computer's are being used.
Speaker 1: So we're talking CPU memory, disk activity, all that good.
Speaker 2: Stuff, all of it, and of course network activity.
Speaker 1: So it's like task manager on steroids exactly.
Speaker 2: You can see which processes are connecting to which IP addresses. Wow,
Speaker 2: it's powerful stuff.
Speaker 1: That's amazing. Right, it's like having a private investigator for
Speaker 1: my computer exactly.
Speaker 2: And then we have event viewer.
Speaker 1: Event viewer. I've always thought of that as like the
Speaker 1: computer's personal diary.
Speaker 2: That's a great analogy. It's constantly keeping a record of
Speaker 2: everything that's happening.
Speaker 1: So it's logging events both good and.
Speaker 2: Bad, exactly, errors, warnings, information messages. It's all there.
Speaker 1: So if something's acting up, event viewer is a good
Speaker 1: place to start.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, it can point you in the right direction.
Speaker 1: And it can also be helpful for network problems too, right.
Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely, it logs events related to your network connections, DGP, DNS,
Speaker 2: all that good stuff.
Speaker 1: So it's like a comprehensive history of my computer's activity.
Speaker 2: Precisely, if you're trying to track down a problem event
Speaker 2: viewer is your friend.
Speaker 1: This has been a fascinating deep dive. I've learned so
Speaker 1: much about Windows networking security.
Speaker 2: It's been my pleasure, from.
Speaker 1: Securing the network's foundation, to protecting our individual computers, even
Speaker 1: venturing into the world of remote access and troubleshooting. It's
Speaker 1: a lot to take in, it is, but it's so important.
Speaker 2: It is. Security is paramount.
Speaker 1: So as we wrap up here, any final thoughts for
Speaker 1: our listeners.
Speaker 2: Knowledge is power, my friend. The more you know about
Speaker 2: your systems, the better equipped you are to protect them.
Speaker 1: So keep learning, keep experimenting, and most importantly, keep those
Speaker 1: firewalls strong.
Speaker 2: And your passwords even stronger.
Speaker 1: Absolutely well said. Until next time, everyone, happy networking, stay
Speaker 1: safe out there.