Active Directory Policies

In a managed IT environment, controlling how users interact with security alerts is crucial for maintaining operational efficiency and security. One such aspect is managing notifications from the Windows Firewall, particularly when it blocks programs. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough for system administrators on how to disable notifications for blocked programs in Windows Firewall using…

In the realm of Windows systems administration, securing communication channels is a critical task. One key aspect of this is configuring the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service, which allows for remote management of Windows machines. A common security enhancement is to disable basic authentication for WinRM to prevent exposure of credentials in plain text. This guide will walk through the…

Windows Spotlight is a feature in Windows 10 and later versions that displays different backgrounds on the lock screen and offers suggestions on the lock screen. While it can be an engaging feature for individual users, in a business or organizational context, controlling this feature can be crucial for various reasons including maintaining uniformity, reducing distractions, or ensuring compliance…

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, staying ahead of threats means regularly updating security intelligence. For Windows environments, this is particularly true for Windows Defender, Microsoft’s integrated antivirus and anti-malware solution. As a system administrator, one of your key responsibilities is ensuring that these updates occur frequently and consistently across all…

In the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity, ensuring regular system scans for threats is crucial. For system administrators managing a network of Windows devices, configuring scheduled scans in Windows Defender through Group Policy is a key task. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to configure scheduled scans in Windows Defender using Group Policy, aimed at enhancing network…

Active Directory (AD) Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are used to centrally manage user account settings, system configurations, and access to network resources. Here are some of the important benefits of using GPOs to configure shortcuts on user desktops: Deploy shortcuts to apps, links, file objects, and shell objects.Target specific user systems based on IP address range, MAC address range…

Group Policy is an hierarchical infrastructure in Microsoft’s Active Directory which provides a centralized means for a network or system administrators to configure Windows servers and desktops. A virtual collection of policies constitute a Group Policy Object (GPO) and it is always identified by a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). For a selected scope of management (SOM), the group…

How to map network drives with Group Policy In earlier days, system administrators relied only on logon scripts to map networking drives, a complex and time-consuming process. To eradicate these hindrances, sysadmins rely on Group Policy to map network drives. In this article, we’ll learn why Group Policy is preferred and how you can map networking drives with GPO. Why use Group Policy…