Book excerpt: Enhance Windows security and protect your systems and servers from various cyber attacks Key Features Book DescriptionAre you looking for effective ways to protect Windows-based systems from being compromised by unauthorized users? Mastering Windows Security and Hardening is a detailed guide that helps you gain expertise when implementing efficient security measures and creating robust defense solutions. We will begin with an introduction to Windows security fundamentals, baselining, and the importance of building a baseline for an organization. As you advance, you will learn how to effectively secure and harden your Windows-based system, protect identities, and even manage access. In the concluding chapters, the book will take you through testing, monitoring, and security operations. In addition to this, you’ll be equipped with the tools you need to ensure compliance and continuous monitoring through security operations. By the end of this book, you’ll have developed a full understanding of the processes and tools involved in securing and hardening your Windows environment.What you will learn Understand baselining and learn the best practices for building a baseline Get to grips with identity management and access management on Windows-based systems Delve into the device administration and remote management of Windows-based systems Explore security tips to harden your Windows server and keep clients secure Audit, assess, and test to ensure controls are successfully applied and enforced Monitor and report activities to stay on top of vulnerabilities Who this book is for This book is for system administrators, cybersecurity and technology professionals, solutions architects, or anyone interested in learning how to secure their Windows-based systems. A basic understanding of Windows security concepts, Intune, Configuration Manager, Windows PowerShell, and Microsoft Azure will help you get the best out of this book.