Server Security

[Curtis]

My question is, we have six remote locations, with a
server at each location, and several servers at our main
location. Long ago my boss setup each server with a user
name with domain admin rights on each. We use no special
policy for the servers. Recently we upgraded to Win2000
servers, and I change it to only log into the servers
with only one user name with domain admin rights, so all
of our servers in all of the locations use one user name.
MY boss wants to change it so we have different names at
each locations, but he only see the difference in the log
in name, and not the rights given, I'm I correct, that it
does not matter if the servers log in name is CHEVY with
domain admin rights or FORD with domain admin rights,
it's the rights assign as DOMAIN ADMIN that count. Again
we have NO special login or anything special with the
servers. My boss is afraid that the one user name gives
them the keys to the entire castle, but it's the same
with 10 user names with Domain Admin rights, IS this
correct.

Also what is the best way to setup a server in a remote
location that the secretary is the only one to have the
need to login and restart the server? My thought is not
to have the person log into the server but, have it set
at the "Ctrl+Alt+Del" screen, and if the server needs to
be restarted, one should be able to press the key combo
and choose to restart or shut down, with out having to
log in, or unlock the screen to restart. Physical
security is really not a concern. We also can connect
through Terminal services to administer the server, but
at time something might happen to need someone at the
screen??????????

 

[Steven Umbach]

In my opinion you want accountability for administrators and each administrator
should use his own account in the domain admins group when necessary to log onto
a server. "The" administrator account should not be used and given a very long
and hard to guess password that is kept in a safe place because it will be the
number one target to hackers either internal or external. Auditing of account
logon evens for success and failure should be enabled in the Domain Controller
Security policy and the security logs in Event Viewer monitored. Domain
administrators should always use there regular accounts that are not in the
domain admins group for non administrative activities and be careful that they
log onto only trusted computers with their domain administrators account [no
keyboard logger or camera watching, etc]. As far as the secretary, I think it
make sense to let him/her log onto the computer as a regular user and give them
the user right assignment in the appropriate security policy/security
settings/local policies/user rights assignments for shut down the system. Just
make sure that if there is sensitive information on that server, that regular
users do not have ntfs permissions to it. Secretaries have a level a
responsibility and trust already, and I doubt you have much to fear letting them
log onto the server when needed. --- Steve