Windows Server 2003 in a Nutshell

Security templates are text files that contain various settings that can be used to:

• Configure security for a standalone server using Local Security Policy

• Configure security for servers in a domain by importing them into Group Policy

• Analyze the security of a server in either a workgroup or a domain

WS2003 includes a number of predefined security templates in the form of .inf files that are found in the \Windows\Security\Templates folder:

setup security.inf

Default security settings for freshly installed machine

dc security.inf

Default domain controller security settings (settings are undefined)

compatws.inf

Default security settings for workstations/servers (settings are undefined)

securedc.inf and securews.inf

Enhanced security settings for domain controllers and workstations/servers

hisecdc.inf and hisecws.inf

High security settings for domain controllers and workstations/servers

rootsec.inf

Reapplies default permissions to root of system drive

You can view the various settings of the different security templates using the Security Configuration and Analysis console.