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Thread: General security and efficiency with WinXP Pro

  1. #1

    General security and efficiency with WinXP Pro

    Ok, I recently picked-up another computer. Default with WinXP Pro, used as a server/workstation. I believe I have secured most of what I can remember, but a second sight is always welcome. (When you look at something long enough, you tend to overlook some things.)

    This setup was an OEM install, with SP3 updates, and extended to include MSIE 7.
    I have disabled most of the "Default Auto/Manual" services which are not needed, and will not be needed. This closed all open TCP and UDP ports, that are normally open and listening. (These are where most viruses and unauthorized hacks enter.)

    Open ports = 0 (Netstat -an) or TcpView confirmed.

    The 40GB hard drive has been partitioned into 4x 10GB sections. (I will be developing on this, and browsing the net, so I need some play space.)

    Partition 1 is for Windows XP Pro, and normal installed programs.
    Partition 2 has a 2GB-4GB swap-file, and all temp-paths have been directed there through the registry. (D:\%USERNAME%\TEMP) For example.
    Partition 3 will be dedicated for my development environment of the Client/Server/DataBase.
    Partition 4 is dedicated as the back-up and archives. Heavily compressed, and non-critical at the moment.

    The swap-file is on a second drive, due to the traffic and notorious slow-downs related to resizing around fragmented system files and temp-net files. This is also the reason I made it so large, as I expect to use a good chunk of it for the developing server program.

    Exterior USB-2 drive 40GB, has the entire system mirrored. (This is for quick restore purposes, where "Windows Restore" is completely useless.)

    CD drive is a hot-swap, which will eventually house a second 40GB hard drive for extended development, and for developed running programs. (The "Live-Public" server.)

    I will list all installed services, and the states, if you think that may be of importance to any observation related to security. (Any other pertinent info will also be listed.)

    Just keep in mind... This will NOT be using a commercial server, for communication. This setup will not use the crippling IIS, or the Web-Specific Apache. The server-type, will be game/data specific, and not require such bloated and slow connections that MS attempts to offer for use. On that same respect, it will not offer the highly bloated and system-complex offerings that Apache offers. It's for a game, so it needs speed, an little thinking. Security beyond exploited services, can be handled after the fact, and are not as critical.

    Thank-you, Jason D

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Petr Schreiber's Avatar
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    Re: General security and efficiency with WinXP Pro

    Hi Jason,

    congrats on new PC, is this related to your Z-FATE game networking project?
    Is SP3 okay?

    Thanks,
    Petr
    Learn 3D graphics with ThinBASIC, learn TBGL!
    Windows 10 64bit - Intel Core i5-3350P @ 3.1GHz - 16 GB RAM - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB

  3. #3

    Re: General security and efficiency with WinXP Pro

    List of services, and states.

    Name, Status, Startup Type
    Alerter, Off, Disabled
    Application Layer Gateway Service, Off, Disabled
    Application Management, Off, Manual
    Automatic Updates, Off, Disabled
    Background Intelligent Transfer Service, Off, Manual
    ClipBook, Off, Disabled
    COM+ Event System, Started, Manual
    COM+ System Application, Off, Manual
    Computer Browser, Off, Disabled
    Cryptographic Services, Started, Automatic
    DCOM Server Process Launcher, Off, Disabled
    DHCP Client, Started, Automatic
    Distributed Link Tracking Client, Off, Disabled
    Distributed Transaction Coordinator, Off, Disabled
    DNS Client, Started, Automatic
    Error Reporting Service, Started, Automatic
    Event Log, Started, Automatic
    Extensible Authentication Protocol Service, Off, Manual
    Fast User Switching Compatibility, Off, Disabled
    Google Updater Service, Off, Manual
    Health Key and Certificate Management Service, Off, Manual
    Help and Support, Off, Disabled
    HID Input Service, Started, Automatic
    HTTP SSL, Off, Manual
    IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service, Off, Manual
    Indexing Service, Off, Disabled
    IPSEC Services, Off, Disabled
    Logical Disk Manager, Started, Automatic
    Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service, Off, Manual
    Messenger, Off, Disabled
    MS Software Shadow Copy Provider, Off, Manual
    Net Logon, Off, Disabled
    NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing, Off, Disabled
    Network Access Protection Agent, Off, Manual
    Network Connections, Started, Manual
    Network DDE, Off, Disabled
    Network DDE DSDM, Off, Disabled
    Network Location Awareness (NLA), Off, Disabled
    Network Provisioning Service, Off, Manual
    NT LM Security Support Provider, Off, Manual
    Performance Logs and Alerts, Off, Manual
    Plug and Play, Started, Automatic
    Portable Media Serial Number Service, Off, Disabled
    Print Spooler, Off, Disabled
    Protected Storage, Started, Automatic
    QoS RSVP, Off, Manual
    Remote Access Auto Connection Manager, Off, Disabled
    Remote Access Connection Manager, Started, Manual
    Remote Desktop Help Session Manager, Off, Disabled
    Remote Procedure Call (RPC), Started, Automatic
    Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator, Off, Manual
    Remote Registry, Off, Disabled
    Removable Storage, Off, Manual
    Routing and Remote Access, Off, Disabled
    Secondary Logon, Off, Disabled
    Security Accounts Manager, Started, Automatic
    Security Center, Started, Automatic
    Shell Hardware Detection, Started, Automatic
    Smart Card, Off, Disabled
    SSDP Discovery Service, Off, Disabled
    System Event Notification, Started, Automatic
    System Restore Service, Off, Automatic
    Task Scheduler, Started, Automatic
    TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, Off, Disabled
    Telephony, Started, Manual
    Telnet, Off, Disabled
    Terminal Services, Off, Disabled
    Themes, Started, Automatic
    Uninterruptible Power Supply, Off, Disabled
    Universal Plug and Play Device Host, Off, Disabled
    Volume Shadow Copy, Off, Manual
    WebClient, Started, Automatic
    Windows Audio, Started, Automatic
    Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), Started, Automatic
    Windows Image Acquisition (WIA), Off, Manual
    Windows Installer, Off, Manual
    Windows Management Instrumentation, Started, Automatic
    Windows Management Instrumentation Driver Extensions, Off, Manual
    Windows Time, Off, Disabled
    Wired AutoConfig, Off, Manual
    Wireless Zero Configuration, Started, Automatic
    WMI Performance Adapter, Off, Manual
    Workstation, Off, Disabled

    NOTES:
    - DCOM over TCP/IP disabled in REGISTRY
    - LMHOST lookup disabled in TCP/IP settings
    - NetBEUI disabled in REGISTRY and TCP/IP settings
    - NetBT disabled in REGISTRY and TCP/IP settings
    - File and Printer Share removed and disabled
    - File Indexing removed
    - Guest account passworded, limited, and disabled.
    - Admin account passworded.
    - User accounts passworded and limited
    - Logging of "Success" events removed.
    - Admin selection turned on for the login screen.
    - Restore service killed.

    All "Remote" programs and services disabled and blocked
    - Terminal
    - Server
    - Fast User Switching
    - Remote user
    - Remote help
    - Remote registry
    - Remote assistance
    - Multiple users

    I can't think of anything else, off the top of my head.

  4. #4

    Re: General security and efficiency with WinXP Pro

    LOL, I used Z-Fate as an excuse to get another computer. (The other computer was not "Mine", so this was a requirement for self destruction.)

    I am developing things related to Z-Fate on it, and CWAD. (I have extended my programming into Lcc-Win32 C, for part of this.)

    The family got tired of me "Experimenting" and attempting to "Limit" the other computer. They used a few of those services that I needed off. Damn I-Pods and chats require some of them. (Yummy, volunteer spyware and exposure, for disposable novelty!) Not to mention, that the other computer is about 1/2 the speed of this, as it is a laptop, which self-regulates itself, depending on internal heat and various other things.

    The next one I get, will be dual-boot, for developing and for personal use. This one will eventually be the front-end server, paired with a back-end server, and the development/personal computer. (Adding another network card to the front-end, and moving the switch between the front-end and the other computers.)

    SP3 is fine, in a native OEM install. It re-opens a lot of damn ports again, that were originally closed. (I guess they feel that they fixed them, but I feel safer with them off.)

    I also don't have anything "Unique" here in my setup. All standard hardware, and a standard setup that is about as common as AIR, in the business world. (HP D530 Ultra-Slim, 3GHz P4, 512 DDR RAM, 40GB WD Hard Drive, NetXtreme GigaBit NIC, Intel Extreme 2 Video, AC97 Sound, and a Serial/Parallel PCI plug-in card that is going to be ripped out and replaced with another NetXtreme GigaBit NIC.)

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