Windows Security Basics: User Accounts

By Murat Yildirimoglu

Computer security is of vital importance and knowledge of user accounts in Windows is fundemantal part of it. And many times, it is neglected. This book aims to fill a gap in the security and provides fundemental info about users, in both local user database and in domain database. You will see what a local user database is, its relation to the domain database, administrative groups in both databases. You will also see how to manipulate user accounts using classical commands and Powershell commands.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Murat Yildirimoglu
• Release date: Jan 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005022709

Murat Yildirimoglu

1964 yılında doğdum. 1988 yılında ODTÜ Elektrik/Elektronik Mühendisliği bölümünden mezun oldum. Mezuniyet sonrasındaki ilk iki yıldan sonra sürekli olarak bilgisayar alanında çalıştım. Bilgisayar alanında 7 kitabım var. Bir tanesi ("TCP/IP";) 15. baskısında bulunuyor. Cumhuriyet gazetesinin Bilim-Teknik ekinde, Bilim ve Gelecek dergisinde çok sayıda bilim konulu makalem yayınlandı. Uzmanlık alanımın, zor teknik konuları anlaşılır şekilde yazmak olduğunu düşünüyorum.

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Windows Security Basics:

User Accounts

By Murat Yildirimoglu

Copyright 2021 Murat Yildirimoglu

User accounts and databases are generally ignored when it comes it security. But it is vital to understand user accounts and databases from the security point of view.

Security is mainly about users: User definitions, user rights, permissions all mean security.

Because security is mainly about users, the number one requirement for a secure system is entering a valid username and password in order to use a computer system.

Windows 95-98-Me operating systems were not secure because entering a username and password was not compulsory on the logon screen; you could juts press the Cancel key on the logon screen and voila, you were in.

On the other hand, in NT series operating systems (NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 2012, 8, 10, 2016,2019) you can press Cancel on the logon screen but when you do so, you cannot enter into to the system.

Local User Database

If NT series operating systems make it a requirement to enter a valid username-password then there must be a user database where those valid username-password info is stored. So, all NT series have a local bir user database. The name of the local user database is SAM (Security Accounts Manager) and it is stored in a file named again SAM. SAM file resides under \Windows\System32\Config folder and it is a very small