In light of the many viruses and network attacks directed against Windows systems (klez, myparty, Code Red, nimda, etc.), proper security planning is a necessity for departments using Windows 2000 (W2K) or Windows XP (WXP) and Microsoft software such as Outlook, Exchange, or Internet Information Server (IIS).
Common security practices and updates have consistently kept most systems secured against such attacks. But the staff time required to maintain reasonable security is rather costly. NACS will continue to publish the best available information on installation, configuration, and security of Windows systems. (See http://www.nacs.uci.edu/w2kinfo andhttp://www.nacs.uci.edu/security/virus.html).
Windows system administrators are advised to consider Microsoft’s HFNetCheck tool as a good internal Hot Fix/service Pack auditing tool for W2K/IIS systems. Microsoft Baseline Security Advisor (which works with HFNetCheck) or Cerberus Internet Scanner v.5.02 are also worthwhile simple, free security auditing tools.
NACS hosts periodic meetings with Computing Support Coordinators and other departmental Windows system administrators to discuss security and other timely issues. Please contact NACS if you would like to participate.
NACS also hosts a number of discussion lists which provide timely information on virus and security issues, including UC-Antivirus, Network-Security-Alerts, and UCICSCG. Interested readers are invited to browse http://www.nacs.uci.edu/org/nacslists.html for descriptions of these and other lists, or to subscribe.