Security Solutions

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Customer Needs Assessment
Determine Your Endpoint Integrity Requirements
Select Security Settings for Your Company
Like other security measures, Internet Explorer security settings require you
to weigh tighter security against the users’ need for functionality. That is, the
lower your Internet Explorer security settings, the higher the functionality.
And conversely, the higher your Internet Explorer security settings, the lower
the functionality.
The NAC 800’s default settings are a good place to start. You can use these
settings until you thoroughly evaluate your company’s requirements for Inter-
net browser security. The default settings that the NAC 800 suggests for each
zone are listed in Table 2-7.
Table 2-7. Default Settings for Internet Explorer Zones
The Intranet zone has a Medium-low security setting because it is designed to
include your company’s intranet sites. Not only do your intranet sites have the
added security of being inside your firewall, but they are under your direct
control. Therefore, it should be free from adware, malware, and other threats
and does not require a high security setting.
Because you identify trusted sites as safe sites, the NAC 800 by default assigns
them a Low security setting. This allows you to designate zones that users can
access freely, without restrictions.
For that very reason, however, you should take particular care when you
assign Web sites to this zone. After all, it has the lowest security setting—even
lower than the security setting for the Intranet zone, which includes Web sites
inside your company’s firewall. You should be absolutely sure that the Web
sites you add to the Trusted zone are trustworthy. Typically, this zone should
contain only a few sites.
Not surprisingly, the Restricted zone has the highest security setting. You don’t
want your company’s users to visit sites that are known to contain adware,
spyware, or other harmful programs. Although a high security setting will not
prevent users from visiting such Web sites, it will curtail their activities on the
Web site.
Zone Default Setting
Intranet Medium-low
Trusted Low
Restricted High
Internet Medium