List of Microsoft Syndicated Content: RSS

The link below will bring you to a directory of all the published feeds listed by Microsoft.

http://support.microsoft.com/selectindex/Default.aspx?target=rss

These RSS feeds cover everything from Office products to Server products.

You are sure to find a RSS feed to your liking. The microsoft website is a library where you can glean immense amount of information without resorting only to books and periodicals.

Let IE 7.0 be your news aggregator (RSS). Learn how to use IE 7.0 in organizing your online content. Learn how to save time by digesting information with RSS.

Vista Security > Is it Really True?

InfoWorld writer Roger Grimes "begs the question" on Vista; Microsoft is now a secure operating system vendor "?"

I have posted Roger's list of the most significant security enhancements that Vista incorporates below.

Roger claims he has counted more than 180 improvements and features.

Link: Actual Post

Roger Grimes:

"Here are the most significant new features:

** The real Administrator account is disabled by default
** User Account Control prompts users in the Administrators group for an additional confirmation before every administrative task
** Even the Administrator cannot directly overwrite files in the Windows and System32 folders. They have to take ownership first, and add the correct permissions
** Internet Explorer 7 runs in Protected Mode by default, which will stop many “drive-by” download attacks
** Address Space Layout Randomization will randomly place critical Windows functions and applications in 1 of 256 places in memory, making many types of buffer overflows significantly harder to pull off
** BitLocker allows one or more drive volumes to be encrypted, and protected with an encryption key that can be stored locally, on a cryptographic chip on the motherboard, or on a USB key
** LM password hashes are disabled by default (finally!) as are LM and NTLMv1 authentication protocols
** Windows Firewall is enabled by default, protects better at boot-up, is integrated with IPSec, and has outbound blocking
** Firewall rules can be applied to specific users, computers, or groups
** Windows Defender is installed by default
** Password-protected screensaver is installed and made active by default
** Over 800 new group policy settings
** You can set multiple user or group-specific Local Security policies
** Session isolation (i.e. Windows kernel services and user-mode programs run in different Windows sessions) will prevent most “shatter”-style attacks
** Services now have SIDs, which simplifies setting security permissions. All default services have been given least-privilege permissions, and are limited by firewall security domain protection
** Portable media devices (such as USB flash memory, CD-ROMs, etc.) can be controlled with read, write, and execute permissions, both per user and per computer
** Integrity levels have been assigned to all files and objects. A security principal must meet or exceed the target resource’s integrity level in order to modify it; regardless of the NTFS permissions
** There are dozens of new log files, all collected in the expanded Event Viewer. Event triggers can be created on any event, and events can be collected to centralized computers
** Transactional NTFS ensures that NTFS changes will be written completely before being made permanent
** Previous Versions client is installed by default, allowing users to self-recover accidentally deleted or modified files
** System Restore now backs up user’s My Documents folder
** Creator Owners now no longer automatically get Full Control permissions, if you don’t want them to
** Commonly manipulated folder and registry keys are virtualized so that malicious modifications don’t result in system-wide infections
** EFS supports smart cards, can encrypt the page file, and has proactive key archival
** Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) supports strong authentication with digital certificates
** Internet Explorer 7 has an anti-phishing filter and is more resistant to malicious attacks, spyware, and add-on abuse
** Internet Information Service 7 supports more granular loading of code. IIS is no longer a single monolithic executable
** Two more network domain profiles to plan firewall and IPSec rules around
** IPv6 and IPv4 are turned on by default
** Improved wireless security. Now, GPOs and logon scripts can be accomplished through wireless logons
** Improved SMB (file and printer sharing) protocol. Anonymous null session connections are no longer the great threat they once were"

Microsoft Office Tips and Tricks

Microsoft gives you plenty of help with its Tips and Tricks section on their website.

The two "Microsoft Office" sites listed below include newsletters, on-demand webcasts, and free e-learning content; under the title "Microsoft Training Resources".

Sites:

Office 2003

Office 2007

Tips and Tricks via Email

New Horizons provides Tips and Tricks to be sent to you weekly via email.

Topics you can choose:

Business / Office Professionals: Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Word

IT Professionals: Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Oracle, SQL Server

Graphic & Digital Designers: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress

Web Design & Developers: Visual Studio .NET, Web Design

Sign Up:
http://www.newhorizonsetips.com

Microsoft: New Certifications

Microsoft has expanded its certification offerings to better recognize and address the ever-expanding universe of Information Technology. With all these new certifications the traditional MCSE can now play a smaller role.

Take a look:

MCTS
MCITP
MCPD
Microsoft Certified Architect
MCDST
MCLC
MCSA
MCSE
MCDBA
MCT
MCAD
MCSD
Microsoft Office Specialist

Our New Horizons corporate website has a great breakdown on these changes.