Windows 7 Credential Manager
Windows 7 Credential Manager stores logon user names and passwords for network resources such as network shares, web sites and terminal services, and allows you to back up, restore and manage saved credentials. Credential Manager stores these details in the Windows vault. In addition you can back up the Windows vault on one computer and restore it to another computer. When you opt to save your credentials by checking the Remember my credentials checkbox in Windows Explorer, Remote Desktop Connection or in Internet Explorer, the Credential Manager kicks in and stores these entries in the Windows vault.
Categories: Backup & Restore, Security Tags: Certificates, credentials, EFS, login, manager, passowrd, username
Protect your computer with BitLocker
BitLocker is a full volume encryption and system protection feature that is available on computers running the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows 7. It protects data on your hard drive if this is connected to a foreign system or when your system is booted off an alternate operating system in an attempt to steal data. Remember, that without the BitLocker encryption key, the data stored on the volume is inaccessible.
Categories: Security Tags: attacks, BitLocker, EFS, encryption, NTFS, offline, offline attacks, password, permissions
Password Reset Disks
How many times users forget their passwords! Authentication issues such as forgotten passwords can be easily resolved in a network environment with domain controllers. A domain administrator can perform a password reset for the user’s account from Active Directory while a local administrator can use the Users node of the Computer Management console or using the Manage Accounts option within the Users Accounts control panel. It is important to note that changing a user password will make the user lose access to all EFS-encrypted files, personal certificates and stored passwords for web sites or network resources. In order to be able to recover these files, users need to have a backed up copy of the EFS key or through the EFS recovery agent if one is configured on the computer. If passwords and certificates were backed up then restoring the Windows Vault may help you recover some items.
Password Reset Disks can be created using universal serial bus (USB) storage devices. The weakness of password reset disks is that users need to be well accustomed as to keep these disks update whenever they create new users or change their passwords. Apart from this, users need to store these disks in a locked location as anyone in possession of this disk can gain access to the user’s files.
Categories: Security, Troubleshooting Tags: authentication, EFS, EFS-encrypted files, forgotten password, password, password reset, reset, reset disk
