Welcome to the Windows Vista Security Guide. This guide provides instructions and recommendations to help strengthen the security of desktop and laptop computers running Windows Vista™ in a domain with the Active Directory® directory service.
In addition to the solutions that the Windows Vista Security Guide prescribes, the guide includes tools, step-by-step procedures, recommendations, and processes that significantly streamline the deployment process. Not only does the guide provide you with effective security setting guidance, it also provides a reproducible method that you can use to apply the guidance to both test and production environments.
The key tool that the Windows Vista Security Guide provides for you is the GPOAccelerator.wsf script. The tool enables you to run a script that automatically creates all the Group Policy objects (GPOs) you need to apply this security guidance. The Windows Vista Security Guide Settings.xls file that also accompanies this guide provides another resource that you can use to compare setting values.
Microsoft engineering teams, consultants, support engineers, partners, and customers have reviewed and approved this prescriptive guidance to make it:
• Proven. Based on field experience.
• Authoritative. Offers the best advice available.
• Accurate. Technically validated and tested.
• Actionable. Provides the steps to success.
• Relevant. Addresses real-world security concerns.
