CompTIA Security_ Deluxe Study Guide_ SY0-201 - Emmett Dulaney [285]
Lab B.47: Secure the Account Database
This lab requires a Windows XP workstation.
The Windows XP account database can be secured through encryption to prevent it from being compromised. To perform this action, follow these steps:
1. Choose Start Run.
2. Type syskey and press Enter. The dialog box shown in Figure B.9 appears.
FIGURE B.9 Use encryption to secure the Windows XP account database.
Note the warning—once encryption is enabled, it cannot be disabled.
3. Click Update. The dialog box shown in Figure B.10 appears.
4. Choose Password Startup.
5. Enter a password that you want to require during startup.
6. Enter the same password in the Confirm box.
7. Click OK.
FIGURE B.10 By default, the startup key is stored locally.
8. Click OK to the dialog box telling you that the account database startup key was changed.
9. Restart the system. You must now provide a password for Windows XP startup to complete.
Lab B.48: Create a Restore Point
This lab requires a Windows XP workstation.
When workstations are functioning as they should, you should routinely create restore points. A restore point is a configuration you can return to if the workstation’s operating system suddenly becomes corrupted.
This lab illustrates the correct way to manually create a restore point:
1. Choose Start Control Panel System.
2. Click the System Restore tab and verify that the box labeled Turn Off System Restore is not checked (if it is checked, clear it).
3. Click OK.
4. Choose Start All Programs Accessories System Tools System Restore.
5. Choose Create a Restore Point and click Next.
6. At the prompt, type in a descriptive name, such as a name that describes the reason you are creating it (for example, right_before_service_pack_update).
7. Click Create.
8. A message appears that informs you that the restore point has been created. Click Close.
Lab B.49: Return to a Restore Point
This lab requires a Windows XP workstation and the successful completion of Lab B.48.
The best thing about restore points is that you can actually revert to them when the operating system goes awry. This lab illustrates the correct way to manually revert to a restore point:
1. Choose Start All Programs Accessories System Tools System Restore.
2. Choose Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time (the default selection) and click Next.
3. On the calendar presented, choose the date the restore point was made and a name from the list (this list includes automatic restore points created and the manual one created in Lab B.48). Choose the restore point created in the preceding lab.
4. Click Next.
5. A confirmation screen appears asking if you are sure you want to perform this action. Click Next. The system will restore and reboot.
Lab B.50: Boot to a Good Configuration
This lab requires a Windows XP workstation.
Occasionally, the operating system settings on a workstation become so corrupted that the system does not properly boot. When this happens with Windows XP settings, you can choose to boot into the last known good configuration. In Microsoft-speak, this is equal to the settings that were in existence the last time a user was able to successfully log into the system (in other words, before the degradation occurred).
This lab walks through the steps of booting into the last known good configuration:
1. Allow the system to restart and watch for the BIOS settings to appear. As soon as they clear, press F8.
2. A menu of operating system choices appears. If there is only one operating system on the workstation (the most common scenario), it will be the only item on the menu. Press F8 again.
3. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears. Use the arrow keys to move down the list to the Last Known Good Configuration option.
4. Press Enter. You might need to press Enter again if the system reverts back to the operating system list menu.
5. The system now boots using the configuration settings from the previous good configuration.
Appendix C
Security+ Acronym List