Windows PowerShell™ 2 For Dummies®

Chapter 21. PowerShell Lockdown

In This Chapter

• Taking advantage of Windows PowerShell security features

• Creating a code-signing certificate

• Perusing the certificate store

• Signing the scripts you create

• Using Windows PowerShell to control the Windows Firewall

Security has been a hot topic in recent years, and Windows PowerShell is just one of the products designed to closely follow Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Initiative. What is security, really? I think a lot of people have the misconception that you're either secured or you're not. The reality is that security consists of layers that act as hurdles for anyone trying to get to whatever it is you're trying to secure.

Now, I don't claim to be a security expert, but it really just takes a bit of common sense to understand that nothing is absolutely secure — although you can take measures to make things more secure. Even though most cars have door locks, for example, many people still install car alarms and other theft-deterrent devices. Do they work? Yes! Are they foolproof? No! Locks, alarms, and other theft-deterrent devices simply make your car less interesting to thieves because they have to work harder to get to the prize. The whole philosophy behind security is that the cost or effort required to break the security exceeds any returns a person can get for doing so.

Windows PowerShell is designed with several layers of security that can be used in concert to ensure that its power can be controlled (ideally, by you). In this chapter, ...