Using MMC Snap-ins to Secure Win2K Systems

When you expand the Security Templates snap-in in MMC, you see a list of the available security templates in the default folder. You can point the Security Templates snap-in to another folder by right-clicking the snap-in, then selecting New Template Search Path. Expanding the templates lets you examine the settings in each template.

I recommend that you never modify the templates that Microsoft supplies. Instead, use them as a basis for customized templates. You can create a template for customization by saving an existing template under a new name. I recommend that you incorporate identifying information about your environment, such as the domain name or system role, into the filename (e.g., productiondmziis.inf). You can create an empty template by right-clicking the Templates folder under the Security Templates snap-in and selecting New Template. A template that you create in this way has no settings defined in it. To modify the settings in your template to reflect your particular security requirements, drill down through the template until you see a setting you want to change, then double-click that setting. A dialog box such as the one in Figure 2 appears that lets you modify the setting. . . .