Circumscribe the Administrator account

In Windows NT 4.0 the administrator can take ownership of any file/folder and thereby obtaining read/write access to it. Some users may view this as a security risk. So then how can files stored on an NT 4.0 server be truly secured? By establishing a few policies you can enhance the security of files/folders.

• The administrator and CIO should each have unique logon accounts that will be assigned to perform administrator functions. The main reason for this is that when monitoring security logs, the CIO can easily differentiate which account was used to access files on NT Servers.
• If a vendor is required to do work on a server and requires administrator access set up an account specifically for that vendor, and then make that account a member of the administrator group. Assign an expiration date to the account as well, so that the vendor will not be an administrator forever.
• Install NT Server tools that can allow for the monitoring of security logs on The CIO's workstation.
• Lock all NT Server screens when not in use. By this I mean pressing the CTRL ALT and DEL keys and selecting the lock workstation option.
• Above all, the administrator should be a trustworthy person. You should do a background check when hiring someone to administer your network.

Adesh Rampat has 10 years experience with network and IT administration. He is a member of the Association Of Internet Professionals, the Institute For Network Professionals, and the International Webmasters Association. He has also lectured extensively on a variety of topics.