Introduction

Why should you worry about security in your network environment? There are several reasons to be concerned about security. First, you need to be sure that only authorized users have access to your network. Without this level of security, anyone can use your network resources and possibly steal sensitive business data. Second, even if your network utilizes login security, a mechanism must be in place to protect data from users who do not need access to it. For example, personnel in the marketing department do not need access to data used by the payroll department. These two mechanisms help protect network resources from damage and unauthorized access. As networks become more evolved and organizations grow more dependent on them, additional protections must be put in place to maintain network integrity.

Before you can start securing your network, you must first understand what security options are available. You need to pay special attention to the security differences between where you are (Windows 9x and NT 4.0) and where you want to go (Windows 2000). You need to develop a plan that will help you achieve your migration goal. Your plan should include a starting point and a detailed analysis of each step along the way. It should also include a time frame for switching your domain to native mode. Until you go to a pure Windows 2000 native mode environment, you can t use all the new features of Windows 2000.

Security for Microsoft s network operating system has been greatly enhanced...