XP's security

[mark rouse]

How secure is Windows XP Professional from potential
hackers sitting at an XP system? Can boot disks be used
to gain access to a DOS screen? Can Windows be bypassed
all together like in Win98? Do functions like F5 or F8
work during the boot up process to gain access to menus
that may allow you to access DOS?

The company I work for wants to upgrade to XP for its
added security over Win 98 in order to protect our
sensitive data, but how protected would that data be if we
used XP?

 

[Joe Sanchez]

Hi Mark,
Your Secure if all your user accounts are password protected. The Recovery
Console (commandline interface) is password protected if its install. I
believe you and your company will be very please with XP's Secrurity
Here is a link to get you started
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/honeycutt/03february03.asp
Or do a Search at Microsoft.com and shearch for XP Security. MS Press has
some great books that deal with XP Secrurity.
Hope this Helps
Joe Sanchez

 

[D.Currie]

How secure is Windows XP Professional from potential
hackers sitting at an XP system? Can boot disks be used
to gain access to a DOS screen? Can Windows be bypassed
all together like in Win98? Do functions like F5 or F8
work during the boot up process to gain access to menus
that may allow you to access DOS?

The company I work for wants to upgrade to XP for its
added security over Win 98 in order to protect our
sensitive data, but how protected would that data be if we
used XP?

It's certainly more secure than Windows 98, but given enough free access to
the computer, no computer is going to be completely safe. A casual user
would get thwarted by the passwords and the fact that you can't normally
access an NFTS partition using a DOS disk, but a real hacker would likely
get in.

But honestly, what are the chances an unknown hacker is going to sit down at
one of your computers and start fooling with it?

 

[Kernelpanic]

It's certainly more secure than Windows 98, but given enough free access to
the computer, no computer is going to be completely safe. A casual user
would get thwarted by the passwords and the fact that you can't normally
access an NFTS partition using a DOS disk, but a real hacker would likely
get in.

But honestly, what are the chances an unknown hacker is going to sit down at
one of your computers and start fooling with it?

What's NFTS? Just kidding. hehe. Just in case there are those who will be
puzzled, he meant NTFS. In addition to his post, I agree 100%. One
question I have is will his existing software run on XP? Also, I'm not sure
about the Win 98 EULA in reference to netgroup shares, but XP states the
following in it's EULA:

'You may permit a maximum of ten (10) ("Connection Maximum") computers or
other electronic devices (each a "Device") to connect to the COMPUTER to
utilize one or more of the following services of the SOFTWARE: File
services, Print services, Internet Information services, and remote access
(including connection sharing and telephony services). The ten (10)
Connection Maximum includes any indirect connections made through
"multiplexing" or other software or hardware which pools or aggregates
connections.'

Just something to think about if/when you upgrade to XP, specially when you
"start having problems with accessing a share".

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Applications and Hardware are problematic. There is an upgrade wizard that
can be run on the systems to check current hardware and software and will
indicate what would need to be changed or upgraded:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp