This book from the “for Dummies” series by IDG Books is designed to give the reader a good understanding of the security features built into Windows 2000 Server and how to configure this operating system to be secure. While not as enthralling as a Stephen King novel, Paul Sanna does a good job of relaying the necessary information in a way that gets the point across with a minimum of boredom- not an easy feat in a technical book.

Following the trademark “for Dummies” system, the book breaks the basics down into bite size chunks and highlights different points of interest. If information can be found on the Web a spiderweb icon is used to point this out. If information is of particular urgency a Warning icon with a bomb is used to draw your attention to the necessary information. The organization of the information and the use of icons such as these to point out specific items makes it a good source for non-techies to gain some basic knowledge.

The author walks you through everything from why you should be concerned about securing the operating system in the first place to how to monitor for breaches in security and audit activity on the server. The book will show you how to determine who should have access to what and how to secure your files and folders to allow access only by authorized users.

For a basic book aimed at Windows 2000 Server novices, Windows 2000 Server Security for Dummies provides a good foundation for any administrator. It will help you to use remote access securely and how to authenticate users before allowing them remote access. It also discusses some of the techniques used by hackers to break into your server and what steps you can take in Windows 2000 Server to make it as difficult as possible for them to get into your system.

While the book is slightly dated, having been published in 2000 with many security flaws discovered and patches release since then, this book still provides a solid base of knowledge that anyone new to administering Windows 2000 Server needs to know to keep their server secure.