Performing Security Assessments

In addition to comparing the security configuration of your computers running the Windows operating system with the baseline security settings defined in security templates, you should assess your computers for common security misconfigurations. You can use different tools for security assessments, including the following:

  • Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) Analyzes common security misconfigurations

  • Port scanners Determine which available server ports are exposed to the Internet

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

The MBSA tool enables you to assess the security configuration of one or more Windows-based computers. MBSA performs two major tasks:

  • Scans for missing service packs and security updates. MBSA ...

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