Windows Defender

Managing Security Essentials

In How to Cheat at Microsoft Vista Administration, 2007

Windows Defender

Windows Defender enhances security and privacy protections when used with Cyberspace Explorer 7. Although we volition cover Windows Defender in more depth afterwards in this chapter, information technology'south important to know how information technology works with Internet Explorer 7 to secure your browsing experience.

Windows Defender is Microsoft's new spyware destroyer. When used with Internet Explorer seven, Windows Defender can help scan all data traversing the browser for malware signatures. If it finds such a signature, it will work with Internet Explorer 7 and help you rid yourself of information technology. Defender will also proceed an center on spyware that is attached to (piggybacking onto) legitimate software that tries to install without your noesis.

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Software bug and solutions

John Sammons , Michael Cross , in The Nuts of Cyber Condom, 2017

Scheduling Regular Scans

Many antivirus programs provide an selection to schedule when scans are to exist performed. This allows you to configure a time when a scan runs, the frequency (daily, weekly, etc.), and what should exist scanned. The software may provide real-time protection, and may protect your files when you're not using the computer, but regular full scans of your arrangement are advisable.

Windows Defender does not have the choice to schedule scans in the program, but uses a different tool in Windows for this purpose. To schedule when a scan occurs:

i.

Search for Schedule Tasks, and open the program.

2.

In the left pane, click on the arrow beside Task Schedule Library to expand it, then repeat the process to aggrandize the Microsoft and Windows nodes.

3.

Double-click on Windows Defender.

4.

In the top middle pane, double-click on Windows Defender Scheduled Scan.

v.

When the dialog box opens, click on the Triggers tab, and then select New.

6.

Set the frequency of the scan and what is to exist scanned, and then click OK.

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Endpoint Security

Thomas West. Shinder , ... Debra Littlejohn Shinder , in Windows Server 2012 Security from Terminate to Edge and Across, 2013

Windows Defender Definitions

Windows Defender is a signature-based antimalware system, and these signatures provide the definitions that Windows Defender uses to identify malware on a Windows organisation. These signatures provide information about current spyware and other forms of malware. The signatures provide information near the spyware images themselves and also the types of changes the spyware makes to an infected arrangement.

Definition updates are released on a regular basis and are typically updated one time per day. However, this is not a hard and fast schedule, and if new updates are bachelor in less than a day, Windows Defender will update itself more often (such equally when in that location is a new piece of prevalent malware released in the wild and Microsoft wants you to get updates faster and not accept to wait an entire 24-hour interval). In full general, you should not let the database get more than fourteen days old. If for some reason the database does not update itself past that time menstruum, you should force and update. Nosotros volition hash out how you can force an update later in this chapter.

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Protecting Network Resources

Eric Seagren , in Secure Your Network for Complimentary, 2007

Microsoft Windows Defender

Microsoft Windows Defender is a relatively new offering which volition attempt to block and defend you from spyware and other malware. Y'all can read almost information technology and download Windows Defender from www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx. Unfortunately, Windows Defender will run on only Windows XP SP2 or Windows 2003 SP1. Windows Defender does include existent-fourth dimension protection, which few of the other "personal" antispyware products include. You tin download and run the installation directly from the Microsoft Web site. During the installation, you will be asked whether you want to bring together the Microsoft SpyNet online community via the window shown in Figure 3.25.

Figure 3.25. Microsoft SpyNet Community

A brief clarification is provided side by side to each pick. SpyNet is a arrangement whereby the actions users take collectively form a contour of a given plan to aid make up one's mind whether it is malicious. Participating in this volition hateful that some nonuser-specific data will be sent back to Microsoft. If y'all don't desire to send whatsoever data, the more bourgeois selection is to select Ask me later. If you desire to participate in SpyNet, select the top selection. The option in the middle allows y'all to update your spyware signatures without joining SpyNet. After making your selection, click Next. Cull between a complete install and a custom one. If you're like me, you will near always click Custom, just because you desire to see what the options are. In that location really aren't whatsoever, other than choosing the installation directory. Click Next and then Install. When the installation is complete, you can click Stop. You should leave the checkbox selected to Check for updated definitions and run a quick scan now.

The main Windows Defender window will open (see Figure 3.26).

Effigy iii.26. Windows Defender

Windows Defender has some dainty features. If you select Tools at the elevation, the window shows several icons for dissimilar functions. Selecting Options will allow you to configure the Windows Defender settings. The options are not exhaustive, but they are functional. Yous can choose to enable automatic scanning (enabled by default daily at 2 a.thousand. ).Yous can too cull for the automatic scan to exist a quick scan or a full scan. Most of the default selections volition probably be appropriate for most users. Default Actions is a critical configuration area. This determines how invasive you want Windows Defender to be. You tin can choose bachelor actions for detected items which are high-, medium-, or low-risk. Each 1 offers the same options: Default activeness (which is defined past Microsoft's signature database), Ignore, Remove, and Quarantine, as shown in Effigy 3.27.

Effigy 3.27. Windows Defender Options

By allowing Microsoft to utilise the default action, you are trusting that the company will know what's all-time. If you want to ensure that cypher critical tin can be accidentally deleted yous tin change all actions to Ignore.

Some other interesting window is nether Tools | Software Explorer. This is a useful screen that will give you information on all running processes, just startup processes (the default view), programs using the network, or Winsock service providers. These can be very informative lists to see what is happening on your current organisation.

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Tuning for Amend Performance

In How to Cheat at Microsoft Vista Administration, 2007

Using Software Explorer to Identify Network Continued Programs

The Software Explorer utility in Windows Defender can be a adept source of information on all network connected programs currently running on the local computer. These include programs running on the local network besides as those running from the Internet such as MSN Messenger. Y'all will notice that if the computer is downloading something from the Net or is installing some software from the Internet, it is as well shown in Software Explorer.

You can open the Software Explorer utility from within the Windows Defender. The following steps describe the procedure:

1.

Click Starting time | Control Panel | Security | Windows Defender. Alternatively, you tin can open the Windows Defender past typing defend in the Search box located in the Starting time menu and selecting the link for Windows Defender.

ii.

Click the Tools button. The Software Explorer link is located within the Tools and Settings window.

3.

Select Network Continued Programs from the Category drop-down menu, as shown in Figure 10.nineteen.

Effigy 10.19. Using Software Explorer to Find Network Connected Programs

A close inspection of Software Explorer can offer a practiced look at all the network continued programs currently running on your computer. Since every network application consumes some corporeality of system and network resource, you lot can check if some application is heavily consuming network resources. If you identify an application that should not be running on your system, click the Cease Process button to close it.

By default, Software Explorer displays merely the network programs running under the context of currently logged on user. To view all network programs for all users of the figurer, click the Evidence For All Users push. Click Continue in the User Account Control dialog box to confirm your administrative action.

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Securing Windows 7

Jorge Orchilles , in Microsoft Windows 7 Ambassador's Reference, 2010

Windows Defender

Anti-malware and antivirus solutions for businesses almost go manus in mitt. Windows 7 does include a specific solution for spyware, Windows Defender. This feature plant in the Command Console acts much like an antivirus solution. It downloads updated signatures from Microsoft and scans the computer for any matching characteristics. The Action Eye will monitor Windows Defender for updated signatures and notify when scans have not been performed. Opening Windows Defender from the Control Panel will open a new window as shown in Figure eight.24. The principal screen of Windows Defender shows the status of Windows Defender. Ordinarily, this volition read No unwanted or harmful software detected.

FIGURE eight.24. Windows Defender Tools and Settings

Running a scan is simple and involves clicking Scan from the pinnacle bill of fare and selecting which type of scan: Quick Browse, Total Scan, or Custom Scan. The History push button volition prove malware found in the past and the action taken. The near functionality will be in the Tools and Settings section shown in Figure 8.24. Hither, the user may customize options, join the Microsoft SpyNet, view Quarantined items, allow items and view immune items, and admission other Microsoft resource. The options in Windows Defender are very like to bones options in an antivirus product. They are:

■

Automatic Scanning – This option enables automatic scanning and sets the frequency of each scan. It also enables checking for definitions automatically and sets when to run the browse.

■

Default Deportment – This option sets what activity to accept with the detected malware depending on the severity.

■

Real-time Protection – This pick enables Windows Defender to run in real-time, checking any new process that is initiated for malware.

■

Exclusions – This option sets excluded files, folders, and file types.

■

Advanced – This choice allows settings to be enabled including: browse annal files, scan e-mail, scan removable drives, use heuristics, and create a restore point prior to taking activeness.

■

Administrator – This option can enable or disable Windows Defender and showing items from all users.

Microsoft SpyNet is a new online community that sends detected spyware threats to Microsoft. Delight read the privacy statement before enabling this. Other tools and settings include links to the Windows Defender Web site and Microsoft Malware Protection Middle. These are useful for end users to become educated well-nigh malware and the threats they may crusade. The Allowed items link shows the exclusions configured past a user or administrator, whereas the Quarantined items link shows the items Windows Defender believes are malicious and has moved to a location that may be more than secure.

There are many other third-political party spyware and malware removal tools as well as real-fourth dimension protection tools. These tools tend to be used later a computer has been compromised past malware to remove the actual malicious files. The best defence against malware is user sensation and education.

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Application Analysis

Harlan Carvey , in Windows Forensic Analysis Toolkit (Tertiary Edition), 2012

Log Files

One of the offset aspects of awarding analysis that analysts should keep in listen is log file analysis. Whatever application that creates and maintains log files is going to exist of keen value and interest to an analyst. Antivirus (AV) applications are great for this, because many times not merely practice they write their logs to the Awarding Event Log, but they also go on a text-based annal of the logs, which very often contains considerably more historical data than what appears in the Application Outcome Log.

For example, when examining Windows XP systems with the McAfee AV application installed, I usually find the logs in the "All Users" profile path in the "\Application Data\McAfee\DesktopProtection" folder. On Windows 7, Microsoft Defender logs are located in the "ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Support" directory. These logs often contain data regarding updates to the scanning engine or the signature database, as well as records of scans and detected malware (equally well every bit any actions taken). I've examined systems on which one AV scanner had been installed, and so at some indicate later, another had been installed, and that organization contained the full logs from both AV scanners.

Tip

Windows Defender Logs

The Microsoft KnowledgeBase offers some aid with gathering logs and other pertinent information from Windows Defender, specifically when troubleshooting issues with the anti-spyware application. Article 923886 (plant at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923886 ) provides some great insight into non just where logs are located, but also how to collect troubleshooting information for support analysis. This process is not only useful for helpdesk and support staff, merely if the process is run and the analyst finds these files during an examination, the contents may provide some useful information.

Yet, AV applications are not the just applications that maintain logs of awarding activeness. Applications such as web servers tend to be capable of maintaining some very comprehensive logs of activity. Similar many analysts, I've been involved in several engagements over the years in which homegrown applications that were designed and written internally to an organisation take been found to maintain some pretty detailed logs, which take been extremely helpful in non only scoping the appointment, merely in the overall analysis of the incident, as well. Many commercial server applications (e.chiliad., FTP servers, database servers, etc.) likewise have the ability to maintain considerable information via logs past default, and fifty-fifty more than detailed information when the configuration is modified appropriately.

Tip

Incident Grooming

Referring back to Chapter two, if yous're reading this affiliate and your role at your organization is that of internal It staff, consider reviewing the applications that are deployed and in apply throughout your enterprise, with a specific view toward logging adequacy. Consider various scenarios such as malware infections and intrusions, and then consider what could be done with respect to the logging capability afforded past the applications to make response to such incidents more effective. Would y'all be able to address these incidents in a more comprehensive and timely way if the logging level were turned upward or if the logs were maintained in a central location (either through log forwarding or through a regularly scheduled retrieval procedure)?

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Introduction to Windows vii

Jorge Orchilles , in Microsoft Windows 7 Administrator'south Reference, 2010

Action Center

Microsoft has improved the Security Centre from Windows XP SP2 and higher up and released a new dashboard for Windows vii called Action Center as shown in Figure 1.26. The Action Eye's goal is to be the end users ane-stop store for all security and maintenance needs. Similar to the Security Eye, the Action Center notifies the user if there are warnings or issues with the security or maintenance settings of the auto. The user can as well choose what alerts to become about these components from the Action Heart. Alerts are in two levels distinguished by color. A ruby warning is an "Important" alarm while a yellow alarm is a cautionary alert. The Action Center is divided into ii parts, security and maintenance.

FIGURE 1.26. Action Center

The Activeness Center may be initiated from the notification area through the flag icon every bit shown in Figure one.27. It may also be initiated from the Control Console or by typing action centre in the Offset card Search.

Figure 1.27. Action Middle from Notification Area

Security

The security department of the Action Center is the most familiar to Windows XP and Vista users every bit it is very like to the Security Centre equally one tin see from Effigy one.28. Here, the user may view and configure alerts of the following security components:

■

Network firewall – introduced in Windows XP, the Network firewall is active by default; if turned off the Action Center volition display a ruby warning for this feature.

■

Windows Update – this characteristic should ever be enabled for automated install of updates. Choosing anything other than installing updates automatically will yield a yellowish or blood-red alert depending on the setting.

■

Virus Protection – anti-malware is still required in Windows seven. Not having anti-malware installed volition yield a red level alarm and not having the software up to engagement will yield a yellow level warning.

■

Spyware and unwanted software protection – this monitors Windows Defender or any other anti-spyware software. Windows Defender is on past default.

■

Net security settings – new in Windows 7, this feature monitors the security settings within the Net browser. This is on past default and Net settings are set at "recommended levels."

■

User Account Control – the famous UAC alarm is on by default. In Windows 7, you may change the notification level to four different options. UAC is on past default to alarm when programs try to make changes to the computer but not Windows settings. This will be further explored in the Security features department later in this chapter and in Chapter 7, "Managing Windows 7 in an Enterprise Environment."

■

Network Access Protection (NAP) – this is for corporate users who utilize NAP to connect to enterprise networks. This agent is off by default and does not alarm of this setting. This setting is activated and alerts by default when the NAP agent is installed and/or not compliant.

FIGURE 1.28. Activeness Heart - Security

Maintenance

The maintenance section of the Action Center is new and should prove to be very useful for the educated user. Here alarm settings tin can be configured and viewed for common maintenance issues such every bit Fill-in, Troubleshooting, Updates, and Organization Maintenance as shown in Figure i.29. All alerts in this department are on past default and a xanthous warning will announced if Backup has not however been configured. Backup and Troubleshooting will be elaborated on in the Security features section.

Figure 1.29. Action Centre - Maintenance

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Microsoft Vista: Update and Monitoring Services

In Microsoft Vista for It Security Professionals, 2007

Using Microsoft Update

Microsoft Update is the expanded software update service from Microsoft that encompasses many of its production lines and server technologies. It works identically to Windows Update and is actually just a simple update to the Windows Update mechanism. We have not been able to observe a skillful answer equally to why Microsoft is "marketing" Microsoft Update as something entirely new instead of rolling it out as an update to the Windows Update service. All in all, the Microsoft Update service is a welcome enhancement and we tend to use it on all our systems, including servers. Microsoft Update can provide updates for the following Microsoft products in addition to the Windows Bone family:

■

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and later

■

Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 and subsequently

■

Microsoft Visual Studio

■

Microsoft Net Security and Dispatch Server

■

Microsoft Information Protection Managing director

■

Microsoft Office Organization XP and subsequently

■

Windows Defender

■

MSN

Installing Microsoft Update

Later on installing Microsoft Update, you will exist able to use the new features and receive updates for the previously mentioned Microsoft products, all through the Windows Update Command Panel applet. To install Microsoft Update, follow these steps:

1.

Click Become updates for more products on the main Windows Update applet screen. This will open up Cyberspace Explorer, displaying the Windows Vista-specific Microsoft Update installation Spider web page.

two.

Select I accept the Terms of Use and click Install.

3.

Click Continue on the User Account Control dialog box.

iv.

One time the installation is consummate, a Web page instructing you to "use your Beginning carte du jour to check for updates" and confirming the successful installation of Microsoft Updates with a large green check is displayed.

Enabling and Disabling Microsoft Update

If you make up one's mind at some point to disable or reenable Microsoft Update features, Windows Vista greatly improves on the options you had in previous versions of Windows. Hither'south how to enable and disable Microsoft Update:

1.

Go to Kickoff | Control Panel | Classic View | Windows Update.

2.

Click Change Settings.

three.

Under the Update service heading (refer to Effigy 9.2), select or deselect the Use Microsoft Update checkbox.

4.

Click OK.

5.

Click Continue on the User Account Control dialog box to save the settings and return to the main Windows Update screen.

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Deploying App-V packages

Thomas Olzak , ... James Sabovik , in Microsoft Virtualization, 2010

Installing the App-V Sequencer

Before installing the Sequencer on a workstation or server, there are some items that you must be aware of, and may want to configure in advance. Microsoft'southward support requirement since version 4.2 of App-V has been to sequence and publish on "like" operating systems. This means that creating a sequenced parcel on Windows XP and then publishing that package to Vista, and vice versa is non supported. You should plan to have a sequencer workstation or server for every operating system you plan to publish applications to. For case, to publish to a Server 2003 operating system, you must create the parcel on a Server 2003 operating system, including service pack and hot fix level. Although you lot may exist able to sequence on i operating organisation and publish to some other, the practice is not supported.

In improver to operating system, service pack, and hot fix level, you will likewise desire to include any applications that are a part of your base paradigm. For example, if Adobe Reader is a part of your base of operations image, you should include it in the edifice of your sequencer workstation. This is especially of import if you include the Microsoft Office suite on your base image. Some applications install differently if they run into that Microsoft Office is already installed.

If you plan to package applications that include ODBC DSN settings, you volition want to create 1 on the sequencer workstation prior to sequencing a package. The registry fundamental associated with the ODBC setting volition become virtualized and prohibit the packaged application from seeing whatever ODBC DSN settings on the base client machine.

The following locations can be checked to make up one's mind ODBC information was captured:

▪

Search for odbc.ini: It volition be located in the VFS\%CSIDL_WINDOWS% folder

▪

HKLM\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI\ODBC Data Sources

▪

HKCU\%SFT_SID%\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI

Yous will desire to include a printer every bit part of the Sequencer base of operations image as well. Printer configurations are handled like ODBC settings. So it is necessary to include a printer device in the sequencer PC image.

Y'all will need to set up your sequencer motorcar with at least ii chief partitions. The first partition, C:, should take the operating organisation installed; format it as NTFS. The second partition, Q:, is used every bit the destination path for the application installation. It should likewise exist formatted as NTFS.

The sequencer uses %TMP%, %TEMP%, and its ain scratch directory for temporary files. These locations should be large enough to accommodate the total installation size of the application being packaged. The sequencer uses the scratch directory to temporarily store the files generated during the sequencing process. The location of the scratch directory can exist seen by launching the sequencer and browsing to Options | Tools and then clicking the Paths tab. Y'all can better performance by configuring the temp directories and the scratch directory to reside on dissimilar concrete hard drives.

Before y'all begin to sequence an application, you volition want to shutdown other programs that may be running. Ensure no scheduled tasks are running, or will begin running, during the sequencing procedure. Disable the post-obit programs before starting a sequencing chore:

▪

Windows Defender

▪

Antivirus Software

▪

Disk defragmentation software

▪

Windows Search

▪

Microsoft update

▪

Any open Windows Explorer session

Notation

Yous should run a total virus and malware scan of your sequencer workstation prior to sequencing an application. In one case the browse is complete, disable all antivirus and antimalware software.

All components for the App-5 Sequencer are available through the Microsoft Book Licensing Site (https://licensing.Microsoft.com). The link is called "Application Virtualization Hosting for Desktops iv.5" and can be plant nether the Windows section. One time downloaded, extract the files or burn the ISO to a CD.

one.

Using the media you lot merely downloaded in the previous step, scan to… | App-V | Installers | Sequencer and click Setup.exe.

2.

The setup wizard prompts you to install the Microsoft C++ Redistributable Parcel, Microsoft MSXML, and Microsoft Awarding Mistake Reporting if they are non already installed. Click Install.

3.

Once the prerequisites have been installed (or if they were already installed), yous are taken to the Welcome page for the Application Virtualization Sequencer. On the Welcome folio click Side by side.

four.

Read and accept the license agreement, and then click Next. Doing so takes you to the Setup Page. Leave the installation path at its default setting and click Next.

5.

Click Install to begin the installation of the App-V Sequencer.

half-dozen.

When the installation completes, click Finish. The Sequencer will at present start.

Note

The calculator used for the Sequencer must comprise a fresh installation of the Windows operating system. Do non install the App-V Sequencer on a computer that hosts the App-V Management Server or the App-5 Desktop Client.

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