Security baselines are pre-configured settings for various systems and software applications designed to minimize security risks. These policies and standards are developed based on a deep understanding of the potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited in different systems, and how best to mitigate them.
In the context of electronic devices, a ‘device baseline’ would include predefined sets of rules and settings which guide how software and hardware are configured and managed on a device.
Microsoft Device Security Baselines
Microsoft has established security baselines to fortify the security posture of your Windows 10 workstations, Edge browser, Office suites, and server environments. While these baselines are fully customizable, they are designed with the goal of maintaining an optimal balance between security and usability.
- Windows 10 Security Baselines: Microsoft provides a security configuration checklist for Windows 10, which comprises policy settings recommended by security experts. These guidelines cover aspects such as control policies, advanced audit policies, and custom ADMX settings.
- Microsoft Defender Antivirus Baseline: This security baseline provides guidance regarding the most secure virus and threat protection settings for your device. It includes recommended settings for real-time protection, cloud-delivered protection, and automatic sample submission.
- Microsoft Edge Baseline: The Edge security baseline includes various controls and policy settings recommendations to secure users’ web interactions. With this, you can manage cookies, downloads, pop-ups, and extensions, among other tasks.
- Office Suite Security Baselines: Microsoft provides a baseline specifically for its Office Suite, which covers Word, Excel, Access, and other applications. The recommended settings under this baseline deal with macros, ActiveX controls, and privacy settings.
Comparing Security Baselines
| Security Baseline | Key Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 Security Baselines | Device configuration, user rights, audit policies |
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus Baseline | Virus and threat protection settings |
| Microsoft Edge Baseline | Web interaction settings |
| Office Suite Security Baselines | Application-specific settings |
Configuring Security Baselines
To configure these Security Baselines, navigate to Microsoft Intune > Security Baselines. Here you can view all available baselines and access their profiles, with the option to create, configure and assign specific policies.
Importantly, while these standards provide a robust guideline, always choose and define your security baselines according to your organization’s needs and threat risk level. Regularly updating and validating these settings is also essential to maintaining strong device security.
In the SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst exam, an understanding of these baselines and their application will be particularly significant. They provide a holistic approach to device security and are instrumental in building a strong cybersecurity posture.
Ensuring device security is an integral part of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. When effectively applied, these Security Baselines can reduce vulnerability to attacks, enhance user experience, and ultimately strengthen the overall security of your organization’s digital infrastructure.
Practice Test
True/False: Security baselines recommend settings that must always be upheld and never altered.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Security baselines are recommended settings, but they can be modified based on the specific requirements of an organization.
What does a security baseline consist of?
- A. Default settings
- B. Special permissions
- C. Recommended settings
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: A security baseline is a group of recommended settings, default settings, and special permissions which provides a secure state for a device or application.
True/False: The Microsoft Security Baseline Analyzer is a tool that can be used to assess the security status of your devices.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer is indeed a tool provided by Microsoft to verify security status and identify any missing security updates.
Which among these is not a recommended security baseline setting for devices?
- A. Enabling remote access
- B. Regularly updating and patching the system
- C. Enabling firewall
- D. Using strong passwords
Answer: A. Enabling remote access
Explanation: Remote access is a potential security vulnerability and is not usually recommended as part of a secure baseline.
True/False: Security baselines cannot be customized to individual needs of an organization.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: While they offer a standard level of security, security baselines can and should be tailored to the specific requirements of an individual organization.
What is the purpose of implementation of security baselines on a device/network?
- A. Find the leaks in system
- B. Create security loopholes
- C. Decrease system performance
- D. Ensure secure state
Answer: D. Ensure secure state
Explanation: The primary purpose of implementing a security baseline is to ensure a secure state for devices/networks.
True/False: Use of security baselines is recommended for both software and devices.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Security baselines are not just for devices but also for software, as they provide a starting point for system security.
What is one of the most important reasons for maintaining up-to-date security baselines for devices?
- A. Improving user access
- B. Meeting compliance requirements
- C. Boosting processing speed
- D. Enhancing display quality
Answer: B. Meeting compliance requirements
Explanation: Security baselines help ensure that devices meet regulatory compliance requirements for maintaining data and network security.
True/False: One of the best practices while setting up security baselines is to loosen firewall rules to ensure easy user access.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Loosening firewall rules can open up the system to vulnerabilities. The best practice is to keep only necessary ports open.
In terms of device security, what does a hardening process involve?
- A. Applying security baselines
- B. Decreasing its processing speed
- C. Increasing device’s physical weight
- D. Decreasing device’s tangible hardness
Answer: A. Applying security baselines
Explanation: Hardening a device involves applying security baselines to ensure a secure state for the device.
Interview Questions
What is a security baseline?
A security baseline is a set of minimum security controls for a system or device to prevent unauthorized access or data breaches.
What is the importance of having a security baseline for devices?
Security baselines provide a standard for maintaining the security controls that are needed to protect devices and systems. They can also help in quickly configuring new devices to an accepted secure state.
What are some of the key components of a security baseline?
Some key components of a security baseline include correct configurations, the latest patches and updates, anti-malware solutions, and secure user privileges and access controls.
Which among Intune or Configuration Manager would be more efficient in applying security baselines for a device fleet across an organization?
This depends on the specific needs of an organization. Intune can manage devices over the cloud while Configuration Manager would require a VPN or similar technology. Intune’s approach may be more flexible and practical for a wide variety of devices and remote users.
Please describe how Intune security baselines are utilized within an organization?
Intune security baselines in an organization can be predetermined to meet certain security standards. Administrators can select and deploy these baselines to devices to ensure that they all meet a minimum level of security.
What is the purpose of Baseline Versioning in Intune?
Baseline versioning allows admins to manage multiple versions of security baselines and apply different versions to different groups of devices or users. It provides flexibility in handling various scenarios that might require different levels of security.
How often are the Intune security baseline settings updated?
Microsoft typically updates Intune security baseline settings on an as-needed basis based on feedback, vulnerability disclosures, or shifts in the threat landscape. However, it’s up to individual organizations to ensure these updates are applied in a timely manner.
Can security baselines be customized?
Yes, security baselines can be customized based on the specific security needs of a department or individual within an organization.
Is it mandatory to apply all settings from a security baseline policy?
No, it is not mandatory. Administrators can choose which specific settings they want to apply from a security baseline policy based on business or security requirements.
What does the term ‘policy drift’ mean in relation to security baselines?
‘Policy drift’ refers to when a system or device’s current security settings unintentionally deviate from the intended security baseline settings. Such drift can happen over time due to changes in the system or device, and could potentially expose it to security vulnerabilities.
How is it possible to check compliance with the devised security baseline?
Microsoft provides tools to evaluate the security baseline and check for policy drift, such as the ‘Security Baseline Compliance Report.’ These tools provide detailed reports to help understand the compliance status of your devices.
What should be done if a device is found to be non-compliant with the security baseline?
If a device is found to be non-compliant with the security baseline, steps should be taken to figure out why, and to rectify the non-compliance. This might involve reconfiguring settings, installing updates, or removing unauthorized applications.
What is ‘Security Baseline Analytics’?
Security Baseline Analytics is a feature in the Microsoft 365 Security Center that helps organizations monitor and enforce security configurations. It provides insights into the compliance status of devices against a security baseline and helps identify policy drift.
Can security baselines be used across multiple operating systems?
Yes, security baselines can be customized and applied across various types of devices and operating systems. However, the specific configuration of each baseline might vary depending on the particularities of each operating system.
What are some best practices for managing security baselines?
Some best practices for managing security baselines include regularly reviewing and updating baseline configurations, using baseline versioning to manage changes over time, monitoring for policy drift and quickly remediating any non-compliance, and customizing baselines based on business or security requirements.
extutorials.com